7:01
- ABC News
- January 13, 2019
Lawyers to mull subpoenas for Trump's interpreters
Reports allege Trump took notes from interpreter after Putin meeting.
7:01
Schiff's spokesperson declined to comment.
Some within the Democratic caucus have argued against subpoenaing the president's interpreter because it would set a new precedent that could be problematic for future administrations by making it more difficult to conduct face-to-face diplomacy. The interpreters have high security clearances and that may create restrictions. There's also a legal argument that the president's executive privilege extends to the interpreter.
House Foreign Affairs Chairman Eliot Engel of New York recently announced that he's forming a separate investigative subcommittee to investigate Trump's interactions with Putin.
“Every time Trump meets with Putin, the country is told nothing,\" Engel said in a statement.
\"We will be holding hearings on the mysteries swirling around Trump’s bizarre relationship with Putin and his cronies, and how those dark dealings affect our national security.”
The foreign affairs committee aide said subpoenaing the interpreter was previously seen as a nuclear option, but Democratic members have warmed to the idea because of the new argument that documents may have been removed from the public domain.
Even though Congress will issue the subpoena to the State Department, the White House could step in to try to slow or block the request.
Republican Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas said Sunday on NBC News it's \"premature\" to be subpoenaing interpreters.
\"I've seen the allegations,\" Cruz said.
\"I want to find out a little bit more about what happened there. I want to learn more than just the allegations in the press.\"
When asked by ABC News if the State Department will comply with the request, spokesperson Julia Mason said, \"I’d refer you to Intel and Foreign Affairs committees for information on the history of witnesses in front of their committees.\"
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