House Oversight Committee chairman Rep. Elijah Cummings (D-Md.) issued a strong warning to Kellyanne Conway on Monday after the White House helped her avoid having to testify about her violations of the Hatch Act.
Conway has violated the Hatch Act on multiple occasions by attacking President Donald Trump’s political opponents in her official capacity as a White House adviser, especially former Vice-President Joe Biden, who leads Trump in the polls.
House Democrats want Conway to appear before the House Oversight Committee to answer for her violations of the law, especially since the Office of Special Counsel issued a report recommending she be fired, but the White House denied the request by sending a letter to Cummings blocking her from doing so, citing so-called “precedent.”
In an interview on Monday, Conway claimed she had not broken the law and absurdly insisted that the law does not apply to assistants to the president.
“We think I’d be the first member of the West Wing to ever be hauled in front of Congress to talk about the Hatch Act,” she said.
In response, Cummings told CNN reporter Manu Raju that if Conway fails to show up on Wednesday he will issue a subpoena and hold her in contempt if she does not comply with it.
Elijah Cummings told me they will subpoena Kellyanne Conway if she doesn’t show up Wedneday for his hearing on the Hatch Act – and “of course” she’ll be held in contempt if she doesn’t comply with subpoena. Here’s the letter the WH just sent to Cummings on Conway pic.twitter.com/eaPs78Yijc
— Manu Raju (@mkraju) June 24, 2019
He also reminded Raju that Conway is not above the law.
Cummings: “We cannot have people disobeying the law. The president is not above the law and nor is Ms Conway above the law. And there are many many federal employees who are obedient with regard to the hatch act.“
— Manu Raju (@mkraju) June 24, 2019
Clearly, the House Oversight Committee is running out of patience. Frankly, Trump’s disdain for oversight should result in his cronies being put in jail for refusing to comply with subpoenas. He is trying to give everyone in his administration blanket immunity, only he has no such authority to do so. These administration officials must be compelled to testify and cooperate with Congress. And failure to do so should result in prison time and fines until they relent, including Kellyanne Conway.
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