The Senate impeachment trial of President Trump may have ended with an acquittal, but ongoing legal battles and talk of future subpoenas hint that the drama between Congress and the White House is far from over.
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., was dismissive of Trump’s acquittal, calling it “virtually valueless” and the result of “one of the largest cover-ups in the history of our nation.” And remarks from multiple House Democrats show that they are still looking for more information they can use against the president.
Meanwhile, the president delivered celebratory remarks with supporters on Thursday as his White House declared vindication, maintaining as he did throughout the impeachment inquiry and trial, that he “did nothing wrong.”
But one matter could result in new developments as early as Friday, with the D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals expected to issue a ruling in the near future regarding whether the House Judiciary Committee can compel the testimony of former White House Counsel Don McGahn.
In a court filing for that case, House Democrats revealed that McGahn’s testimony related to information in the Special Counsel’s Russia report could even be used for new articles of impeachment.
“If McGahn’s testimony produces new evidence supporting the conclusion that President Trump committed impeachable offenses that are not covered by the Articles approved by the House, the Committee will proceed accordingly—including, if necessary, by considering whether to recommend new articles of impeachment,” the committee’s December brief stated, noting that they still have “ongoing impeachment investigations.”
According to former special counsel Robert Mueller’s report, Trump had instructed McGahn to relay orders to have Mueller fired, which Trump’s critics have said is enough to justify an obstruction of justice charge, although this was not included in the articles of impeachment that were the subject of Trump’s recent trial. – READ MORE