Tag: corey lewandowksi
House Impeachment Inquiry Issues Subpoena For Lewandowski

House Impeachment Inquiry Issues Subpoena For Lewandowski

House Democrats targeted Corey Lewandowski with a new subpoena on Thursday, demanding that he testify publicly in their ongoing impeachment inquiry focusing on President Donald Trump’s efforts to obstruct justice.

Lewandowski played a key role in Special Counsel Robert Mueller’s report, which described Trump ordering his former campaign manager to push then-Attorney General Jeff Sessions to thwart the Russia investigation. Given that Lewandowski wasn’t in the administration at all, this effort makes Trump look particularly guilty because it appears he was trying to use unofficial channels to quash the investigation.

When it has come to Trump officials Democrats have sought to interview, the White House has been relatively successful thus far in constraining their testimony. The administration has concocted an absurdly broad view of “executive privilege” to block testimony pertaining to their time in the administration

This use of executive privilege is being challenged in court. But if the White House tries to use it to constrain Lewandoski’s testimony, it will almost certainly fail.

According to CNN, the White House appears to know this. Reporter Kaitlan Collins explained:

…this would be the first time Trump has tried to invoke privilege for someone who has never worked in the administration. McGahn, Hicks and Donaldson all held titles in the West Wing; Lewandowski has only informally advised Trump since his work on the 2016 campaign ended.

Trump officials and allies aren’t confident the move will work, skeptical that the President will be able to assert the same executive privilege principles over an informal adviser as he would a staff member. The White House has been in contact with members of the Office of Legal Counsel at the Justice Department about whether it would be successful, and say it remains an option. A White House official cautioned that the discussions are preliminary and no formal Office of Legal Counsel opinion has been sought or rendered by the White House counsel’s office yet.

For Lewandowski, the subpoena itself doesn’t bode well. He’s already facing early resistance to his potential Senate run in New Hampshire. While state-based Republicans are already dubious about his prospects, being dragged before Congress probably wouldn’t help his chances.

Bossie Confesses: There Was A Right-Wing Conspiracy Against Clinton

Bossie Confesses: There Was A Right-Wing Conspiracy Against Clinton

More than 20 years after the fact, following decades of smug denials, one of the operatives in the “vast right-wing conspiracy” has confessed to its existence.

The longtime far-right activist David Bossie of Citizens United offered that confession on Fox News Sunday, where he appeared to promote a new book he co-authored with former Trump campaign manager Corey Lewandowski. Bossie, who also toiled in the Trump campaign and remains close to the president, blurted the truth to host Chris Wallace almost inadvertently. But with someone who lies almost as routinely as his idol Trump, Americans have to be satisfied with his moment of truth.

Describing several White House aides attacked by Bossie and Lewandowksi, Wallace said that “they wanted to control the president instead of, as you said in your first book, to ‘let Trump be Trump.'”

“Exactly,” replied Bossie (although his diction isn’t always easy to follow). “Let us remember what is going on here. There’s a vast left-wing conspiracy going on that has been going on since the president won this election. All throughout the transition and during those first two years — a vast left-wing conspiracy. Very similar words to what I’m using to what Hillary Clinton called the vast right-wing conspiracy.”

Wallace said, “Which didn’t turn out to be true.”

“No, it did turn out,” he insisted. “There was an effort by the conservative movement to undermine President Clinton.”

Wallace replied, “I understand, but he did have a relationship with Monica Lewinsky.”

For the full story of Bossie’s role in the conspiracy against Clinton — which dated back to his dirty tricks campaign during the 1992 campaign — see my account with Gene Lyons in The Hunting of the President. Among his allies in that crusade was the late “Justice Jim” Johnson, diehard segregationist ringleader in Arkansas and a close Bossie pal.

The more things change, the more dismally they remain the same.

h/t to Crooks and Liars