‘Massive, unprecedented obstruction’: House oversight chairman Elijah Cummings slams Donald Trump for ordering officials not to comply with congressional investigations
- The president has vowed to resist every subpoena from House Democrats investigating his administration and to fight any effort to impeach him
- Trump is facing multiple inquiries into his tax returns, White House security clearances and Russian interference in US politics
The Democratic chairman of the US House Oversight Committee on Wednesday accused President Donald Trump of a “massive, unprecedented, and growing pattern of obstruction” after he ordered federal employees not to comply with congressional investigations.
The Republican president ordered officials not to obey legal requests from the Democratic-led House of Representatives, which is carrying out multiple investigations of his administration, including his tax returns, White House security clearances and the probe of Russian interference in US politics.
“President Trump and Attorney General [William] Barr are now openly ordering federal employees to ignore congressional subpoenas and simply not show up – without any assertion of a valid legal privilege,” Representative Elijah Cummings, who chairs the House Oversight Committee, said in a statement.
“This is a massive, unprecedented, and growing pattern of obstruction,” Cummings added, warning federal employees to “think very carefully about their own legal interests” in refusing to comply with the panel’s requests.
The president vowed to resist every subpoena from House Democrats investigating his administration and to fight any effort by them to impeach him. Trump’s removal from office is most unlikely barring a change of heart by his fellow Republicans, who hold a majority in the US Senate.