by Breitbart News 15 Jul 2014 WASHINGTON (AP) — The White House is defying a congressional subpoena by keeping a top political aide to President Barack Obama from testifying at a hearing Wednesday, setting up a potential new legal battle in this midterm election year. The White House argued that Obama adviser David Simas is immune from the "extraordinary demand" of being forced to testify before the House Oversight Committee as part of its investigation into the White House Office of Political Strategy and Outreach, which he directs. White House counsel Neil Eggleston said in a letter Tuesday night to Oversight Chairman Darrell Issa, R-Calif., that the Simas subpoena "threatens longstanding interests of the executive branch in preserving the president's independence and autonomy, as well as his ability to obtain candid advice and counsel to aid him in the discharge of his duties." (Excerpt) Read more: http://www.breitbart.com/Big-Government/2014/07/15/White-House-defying-aides-congressional-subpoena Since when are Presidential appointees immune from testifying before Congress? What is being hidden by the "Transparent Administration"? No one is threatening the Executive Branch by requiring appointees to be asked questions under oath. It's the people who want answers to what this administration is doing with or without presidential authority. Everyone in DC is required to answer to the "PEOPLE".
Starting to feel a lot like 'Nixon'...........this from our 'most transparent Presidency'........funny stuff
Comedy gold. After his idle bleating earlier in the week, I wonder if Josh Earnest feels like a complete tool yet.
Here's the coverage from 2008 when Democrats were after Bush. Federal judge rules against Miers, White House on ... www.politico.com/blogs/thecrypt/0708/Federal_judge_rules_against... July 31, 2008 Federal judge rules against Miers, White House on subpoenas. A federal judge ruled Thursday that top advisers to President Bush are not immune from congressional subpoenas. ~~~~~~~~~~~~ Nancy Pelosi then stated: House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said of the ruling. "This decision should send a clear signal to the Bush administration that it must cooperate fully with Congress" and that administration figures must testify. Source: http://articles.latimes.com/2008/aug/01/nation/na-privilege1 ~~~~~~~~~~~~ White House Director Won't Testify Before Issa's Panel http://thehill.com/homenews/adminis...ouse-director-wont-testify-before-issas-panel The White House claim violates a 2008 federal court ruling that says presidential advisers are "not absolutely immune from congressional process." ... court case Obama, and Simas have no leg to stand on.
Just because Issa is a grandstanding, attention seeking supboena junkie, no one is forced to feed his habit. Who voted for this ***- hole? Darrell Issa's record-breaking subpoena-palooza http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs...rrell-issas-record-breaking-subpoena-palooza/ What's the matter guys? BENGHAZI didn't pan out?
And there is your "transparency". This administration is standing in the middle of the crowd, raping, pillaging, lying and stealing; right out in the open. Perfectly transparent!
The wealthy born Che Guevara raped a servant girl on the dinner table in front of his friends and then went right on eating his dinner when he was done. The left views him as symbol of the struggle of the working class against the rich who rape the poor. What do you expect from them?
The Scumbag-in-Chief telegraphed this lawlessness on Monday. Transparency? We don need no esteeenkin transparency. .
White House To Defy Issa Subpoena by Jennifer Bendery | Huffington Post | Posted: 07/15/2014 6:24 pm EDT Excerpts: WASHINGTON -- "Rep. Darrell Issa (R-Calif.)isn't dropping his subpoena to compel a top White House official to testify before his committee on Wednesday, despite an extensive briefing on Tuesday between administration officials and committee staff aimed at resolving the matter. In a letter to White House counsel Neil Eggleston, Issa wrote that David Simas, director of the White House Office of Political Strategy and Outreach, must still testify before the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee in its hearing on the scope of White House political activities. Issa, who chairs the committee, sent the letter after Democratic and GOP staff huddled with White House Counsel staff for more than an hour - a meeting the White House called in an effort to answer committee questions while demonstrating there is no need for Simas to testify. The briefing didn't appear to satisfy Issa, who, like other lawmakers on the committee, wasn't in the staff-level meeting. "Mr. Simas is still under subpoena and is expected to appear at tomorrow's hearing," Issa wrote. "I believe his on-the-record testimony will provide valuable insight into White House efforts to ensure appropriate use of taxpayer funds." It's unclear whether the White House will defy Issa's demand or send Simas to testify. A White House spokesman did not respond to a request for comment. (See UPDATE below.) It's also unclear what will happen if Simas doesn't show and Issa persists with his subpoena. It's possible that a court could be pulled into the matter and force his testimony, which was the case in 2008 when President George W. Bush was overruled in his assertion that his top aides were immune from congressional subpoenas. But in that case, there was some evidence of inappropriate activity, which was related to the U.S. Attorney scandal. Issa announced Friday that he was subpoenaing Simas to testify on the Hatch Act, a law that restricts political activity by members of the executive branch. The California Republican has alleged that members of President Barack Obama's cabinet have violated the law, but the White House has denied any wrongdoing by Simas' office. "There's not really any evidence to indicate that there's a reason for Mr. Simas to appear before Congress," White House Press Secretary Josh Earnest said Friday. "Not even a shred of evidence." Rep. Elijah Cummings (D-Md.), the ranking Democrat on Issa's committee, said even GOP staff in Tuesday's briefing conceded that they got to ask all the questions they had. "At the conclusion of the briefing, the Republican staffer leading the meeting thanked the White House and said, 'That's all the questions I have,'" according to materials provided by Cummings' office. "This afternoon, Chairman Issa sent a letter to the White House stating: 'The briefing provided to Committee staff today, while helpful and appreciated, did not answer all questions.'" "It's bad enough that Chairman Issa issued a unilateral subpoena to a senior advisor to the President with absolutely no debate or vote by the Committee, but in this case, there is no evidence whatsoever to suggest that Mr. Simas or anyone on his staff did anything wrong," Cummings said in a statement. "There seems to be no reason to continue this ridiculous confrontation other than to manufacture false controversy as Chairman Issa's tenure comes to an end." Including Simas' subpoena, Issa has now issued 99 subpoenas since becoming the committee chairman - more than all three previous committee chairmen combined. UPDATE: 7:45 p.m. -- Simas is immune from a congressional subpoena and will not appear for Wednesday's hearing, Eggleston said in a Tuesday night letter to Issa. "The Committee's effort to compel Mr. Simas' testimony threatens longstanding interests of the Executive Branch in preserving the President's independence and autonomy, as well as his ability to obtain candid advice and counsel to aid him in the discharge of his constitutional duties," Eggleston writes. "In light of those principles ... Mr. Simas is immune from congressional compulsion to testify on matters relating to his official duties and will not appear at the July 16, 2014 hearing." read more: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/07/15/darrell-issa-subpoena_n_5589377.html ...... IMO: I presume that this is another of Chairman Issa's grand 'theatre' improvisations that never went well when he was powerful, but now when his star is crashing earthward, no one is taking him seriously these days. To be truthful, Isaa has been warned by some of the staunchest conservatives to "let it go" but apparently Issa takes it to bed with him each night, and wake up the next morning ready to authorize yet another subpoena to somebody..(preferably in the White House) I guess he is too scared to subpoena Michelle...I mean, that lady is tough. So tough that she is fighting with Beyonce' and Kim Kardashian for 'Queen of American Royalty'...and she will get it! Well, we will all have to wait to see who Issa subpoenas tomorrow before they come and escort him out of his chamber in a straightjacket. 99 subpoenas so far...I would say that this is being freakin' paranoid!!
..... Dunno: You should ask a fellow republican, because they make up their own rules for laws they don't agree with....
