Will we see Mueller by July 4th?
by digby
This was inevitable:
House Judiciary Chairman Jerry Nadler told Democratic leaders at a closed-door meeting this week that he could issue a subpoena to Robert Mueller within two weeks if he is unable to reach an agreement to secure the former special counsel’s public testimony, according to two sources familiar with the meeting.
Nadler’s comments at the Tuesday meeting were his clearest remarks to date on the possibility of compelling Mueller’s attendance at a public hearing. The committee is still negotiating with Mueller, who, according to Nadler, is thus far only willing to answer lawmakers’ questions in private — a nonstarter for most House Democrats.
The sources cautioned that the committee has not settled on a timetable for a potential subpoena to Mueller. Speaker Nancy Pelosi hosted the meeting, and four other committee chairs were in attendance.
On Wednesday, Nadler told reporters that he was “confident” Mueller will appear before his panel, and that he would issue a subpoena “if we have to.”
“We want him to testify openly. I think the American people need that,” Nadler added. “I think, frankly, it's his duty to the American people. And we'll make that happen.”
This is fine. In fact, it's doing Mueller a favor. He doesn't want to be seen as a Ken Starr Javert-like prosecutor out to get the president. And frankly, I don't think he is. (He could have done a lot more to hurt Trump than he did, and he pulled his punches quite a bit.)
But he has to testify, nonetheless. Compelling him to do it lets him off the hook and gets what the Democrats want too. Unlike Trump's brainwashed cultists, I don't think he's going to defy a congressional subpoena. But nobody can accuse him of being eager to do it and for a few people that may make him more credible.
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