Cover-Up: House Oversight Subpoenas 'The Dirty Dozen'

By Frances Langum — July 11, 2019

And here is how we frame the "debate." CNN:

The House Judiciary Committee authorized subpoenas Thursday to a number of key officials from Trump's orbit as part of its investigation into possible obstruction of justice, corruption and abuse of power: former Attorney General Jeff Sessions, former Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein, former Trump Chief of Staff John Kelly and former Trump campaign manager Cory Lewandowski.

In addition, the list of potential subpoenas included David Pecker, chairman of National Enquirer parent American Media Inc., and others related to the hush-money payments made during the 2016 campaign to silence women who were alleging affairs with Trump.

The committee's subpoenas to Trump administration officials have been met so far with resistance by the White House, which has argued the officials have immunity from testifying as advisers to the President.

Sure, because the Trump White House is engaged in a cover-up.

Of course, they're not going to appear. Of course, they're hiding crimes behind their "privilege." When they don't appear? That's a cover-up in plain sight. And we must keep calling it that.

A cover-up by the Dirty Dozen. The Dirty Dozen Cover Up. Etc.

FRANK FIGLIUZZI: There's a dozen names on the list. I don't know whether to refer to them as "The Dirty Dozen" or soon to be "Twelve Angry Men." There's at least three that pop out. Jared Kushner, obviously, represents very close proximity to the president, with regard to could speak volumes potentially about the Trump Tower meeting. Go to Michael Flynn, the former national security adviser. He could speak to how much pressure was on him to wait it out and to maybe wait for a pardon that might have been dangled in front of him. Then, Attorney General Sessions who could talk about incredible pressure to make the special counsel go away and to recuse himself. For those on the Left who say this say 'this is a futile exercise, they'll never respond to these subpoenas, and those on the Right who say 'this is an unnecessary do-over of the Mueller investigation', I say, this is a muscle memory exercise that we need to have. Our form of democracy, three equal branches of government, is in jeopardy. If the oversight function isn't flexed regularly for valid reasons, and this is valid, to perhaps lay a foundation for impeachment, then we lose our form of democracy.

Keep using the term "cover-up" because that's what it is.

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