The White House was subpoenaed by House Democrats on Friday over Ukraine-related documents, further escalating the Democratic impeachment inquiry into President Trump, CNN reported.
The subpoena comes following the three committees that are in charge of the impeachment inquiry, separately sending a letter on Friday to seek documents from Vice President Mike Pence as part of their investigation into Trump and his conversation with the President of Ukraine.
The subpoena from House Oversight Chairman Elijah Cummings to the White House includes a request for a host of documents and communications tied to the President’s July 25 call with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, the holding up of foreign aid to Ukraine and efforts by Trump’s personal lawyer Rudy Giuliani and his associates to push the Ukrainians to investigate Vice President Joe Biden and Burisma, the company that hired Joe Biden’s son Hunter Biden to be on its board, according to a memo Cummings sent on the subpoena earlier this week.
“We deeply regret that President Trump has put us — and the nation — in this position, but his actions have left us with no choice but to issue this subpoena,” Cummings of Maryland, House Intelligence Chairman Adam Schiff of California and House Foreign Affairs Chairman Eliot Engel of New York wrote in a letter to the White House on Friday.
The subpoena escalates the Democratic impeachment investigation, which stems from the whistleblower complaint alleging Trump sought help from Ukraine’s government to dig up dirt on his political rival and the White House sought to cover it up. The three panels leading the probe have already issued subpoenas to Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and Giuliani, in addition to Friday’s White House subpoena.
The White House downplayed the subpoena.
“This subpoena changes nothing — just more document requests, wasted time, and taxpayer dollars that will ultimately show the President did nothing wrong,” press secretary Stephanie Grisham said in a statement. “The Do-Nothing Democrats can continue with their kangaroo court while the President and his Administration will continue to work on behalf of the American people.”
The request for documents to Pence, meanwhile, adds the vice president to a growing list of Trump officials and allies from who Democrats are seeking documents as part of the impeachment inquiry.
The three chairmen leading the probe wrote a letter to Pence on Friday requesting the documents by October 15.
According to CNN, Pence could also be subpoenaed if he does not voluntarily provide the documents.
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