Acting AG Matt Whitaker

In a 23-13 vote along party lines, the Democrat-led House Judiciary Panel authorized Congressman Nadler to subpoena Acting Attorney General Matt Whitaker if he does not answer certain questions.

Whitaker pushed back against the Dems Thursday in a statement, calling their threat to subpoena him an attempt to create a “public spectacle” adding, “political theater is not the purpose of an oversight hearing, and I will not allow that to be the case.”

“Consistent with longstanding practice, I remain willing to appear to testify tomorrow, provided that the Chairman assures me that the Committee will not issue a subpoena today or tomorrow, and that the Committee will engage in good faith negotiations before taking such a step down the road,” Whitaker said.

Assistant Attorney General Stephen Boyd backed up Whitaker in a separate letter demanding “written assurance” by a 6 PM deadline that the Judiciary Committee would not issue a subpoena.

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Matthew Whitaker volunteered to appear before the Committee to testify, but the Democrats still threatening the head of the executive department with a subpoena in an effort to “refocus the hearing on President Trump’s confidential communications with the Acting Attorney General, which raises confidentiality interests that are vital to a President’s ability to discharge the responsibilities of his office,” Boyd wrote in his letter.

“Absent such an assurance,” Boyd wrote, Acting AG Whitaker will simply not show up for Friday morning’s hearing.

“If Mr. Whitaker appears in the hearing room, as scheduled, and if he provides direct answers to our questions, then I have no intention of ever issuing this subpoena,” Jerry Nadler said.

The Democrats want to know if Whitaker sought to influence their precious Mueller investigation and whether he provided that information to President Trump.

The preemptive move to authorize a subpoena shows just how aggressive the Democrats are pursuing Trump officials — it should be used as a last resort to compel testimony.

The Democrats are clearly trying to prevent Whitaker from invoking executive privilege because they want to harm and embarrass the Acting Attorney General and President Trump.

House Democrats will spend the next two years harassing Trump officials rather than serve their constituents. Welcome to 2019.