Obstruction By Trump + Barr Is A Dangerous Game

Donald Trump and Attorney General William Barr are playing a dangerous game of chicken with the Democratic Congress that is rapidly becoming a clear-cut case of political posturing and obstruction of justice.

Politics
Although the Robert Mueller probe is complete, the Democratic-led House of Representatives is still conducting its own investigations into Donald Trump’s tax returns, White House security clearances, and Russian interference in the US electoral process. However, ‘The Donald’ has put up a roadblock by ordering federal employees not to comply with any congressional investigations and is again calling it a “witch-hunt” that has no merit.  He’s even gone so far as to float the possibility of presidential pardons for anyone who is convicted of downright disobeying a congressional subpoena.

If that wasn’t enough, the Attorney General of the United States, William Barr, has acted as if he’s Trump’s personal attorney by declining an order to appear before the House Judiciary Committee to discuss the redacted portions of the Mueller Report he withheld from Congress.  In fact, Barr has outright refused to testify.

Now, Rep. Jerrold Nadler, the Democratic chairman of the House Judiciary Committee, and Rep. Elijah Cummings, the Democratic chairman of the US House Oversight Committee, have each had enough of the obstruction and are preparing to use the full powers of Congress to right this wrong.

“President Trump and Attorney General (William) Barr are now openly ordering federal employees to ignore congressional subpoenas and simply not show up — without any assertion of a valid legal privilege,” Cummings said in a statement.

“This is a massive, unprecedented, and growing pattern of obstruction,” he added, warning federal employees to “think very carefully about their own legal interests” if they refuse to comply with an order from Congress.

Once again acting as if he’s an omnipotent dictator instead of an elected official with oversight, Donald Trump has threatened to resist each and every subpoena from House Democrats investigating his administration.  He’s also proven he has no clue how the law works by threatening to go to the Supreme Court if Democrats ever dared to impeach him.

Trump is so hell-bent on keeping his financial records hidden that he recently filed a lawsuit to block a congressional subpoena of his accounting firm.  Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin missed a deadline to turn over Trump’s tax returns to lawmakers.  Also, the former head of White House personnel security ignored a subpoena ordering him to appear for a deposition about overriding recommendations to deny security clearances.

Then, William Barr not only dismissed a request from the House Judiciary Committee to interview an official involved in the administration’s decision to add a citizenship question on the 2020 census, but he also refused to testify and answer questions before Congress regarding redactions in the Mueller Report.

These were not coincidental events, but rather clear indications that Donald Trump and William Barr have collectively adopted a strategy to commit obstruction and resist all oversight efforts by the House — acts that could land them both in contempt.

“The president is attempting to repeal a congressional power of oversight that goes back to the administration of George Washington,” said Charles Tiefer, a former House lawyer and current University of Baltimore law professor. “Congress can call witnesses about problems with the executive branch anytime. Otherwise, there is no check on whether the executive branch is doing the public’s work or just exercising raw power.”

He added: “the comprehensiveness and intensity of this presidential stonewalling” exceeded anything he had seen in his 40-year career.

For his part, Trump remained oblivious to the limits of his power and adamant to remain resistant.

“We’re fighting all the subpoenas,” Trump gleefully told reporters outside The White House. “These aren’t, like, impartial people. The Democrats are trying to win 2020.”

“I thought after two years we’d be finished with it,” Trump added, regarding the special counsel investigation. “No. Now the House goes and starts subpoenas.  I say it’s enough.”

Despite his glaring lack of respect for and knowledge of the law, Donald Trump and his biased attorney general, William Barr, are both about to learn an extremely valuable lesson.  Their rebellion against the powers of Congress has ramifications, and their continued defiance will come at a cost.

OK WASSUP! discusses Politics:
Trump and Barr continue obstruction.