“We want him to testify openly….and we’ll make that happen,” House Judiciary Committee chairman Nadler said of former special counsel Mueller on Wednesday.
DESPARDES News Monitor — House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jerry Nadler, D-N.Y., said Wednesday that he’s “confident” former special counsel Robert Mueller will come speak to Congress soon, and that he’s prepared to issue a subpoena to bring him in, if necessary.
“Let’s just say that I’m confident he’ll come in soon,” Nadler said when asked where things stand on the former special counsel’s testimony regarding Russia election meddling probe.
Asked if Nadler would need to issue a subpoena to compel his testimony, Nadler said, “We may. We will if we have to” — and suggested that he won’t wait too much longer to take that action, report NBC News.
“He has said…he’s willing to come and testify, make an opening statement and then testify only behind closed doors. We’re not willing to do that,” Nadler said about Mueller. “We want him to testify openly. I think the American people need that. I think, frankly, it’s his duty to the American people. And we’ll make that happen.”
Also Read: Mueller Prepared an Obstruction of Justice Indictment on Trump: Book
Ever since the 448-page redacted report was released in April, lawmakers have been in talks with Mueller so that he could testify before Congress publicly. But when Mueller spoke publicly for the first time about the Russia investigation last week, he indicated that he did not want to testify before Congress. “I hope and expect that this is the only time that I will speak to you in this manner,” he said then.
“We’re going to have a discussion about the best way to proceed, but I think we can’t go from 0 to 60”
House Democratic Caucus, Rep. Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y.
“There has been discussion about an appearance before Congress. Any testimony from this office will not go beyond our report. It contains our findings and analysis and the reasons for the decisions we made,” he added. “The work speaks for itself. The report is my testimony.”
Nadler, for his part, has stopped short of calling for an impeachment inquiry like half of the Democrats on his Judiciary Committee have. On Wednesday, he told reporters about impeachment, “I don’t know about inevitable, but it’s quite, it’s quite possible.”
Pelosi also weighed in on impeachment at her weekly press conference Wednesday, in which she appeared to dismissed criticism about why she’s still wavering on the idea.
“Make no mistake. We know exactly what path we’re on. We know exactly what actions we need to take. And while that may take more time than some people might want it to take, I respect their impatience,” she said.
This week President Trump’s tweet raised eyebrows (which he later clarified): “I had nothing to do with Russia helping me to get elected,” President Trump said a day after Mueller’s statement on the Russia probe. (@TwitterMoments)
The chairman of the House Democratic Caucus, Rep. Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., told reporters earlier that “We’re going to have a discussion about the best way to proceed, but I think we can’t go from 0 to 60,” Jeffries said, adding “No one is above the law not even the president of the United States of America, not the attorney general, not the Treasury secretary. We’re going to make sure we teach them that lesson, one way or the other.”
