In the News

Today, Rep. Elijah. E. Cummings and Rep. Gerald E. Connolly, the Ranking Member and Vice Ranking Member of the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, sent a letter requesting that Chairman Trey Gowdy place 13 motions for subpoenas on the agenda for the Committee’s upcoming business meeting on February 6, 2018.

For each request, Cummings, Connolly, and other Committee Members previously sent Gowdy detailed letters setting forth the specific bases for the motions, but Gowdy declined to join these requests or issue subpoenas on his own. They include a wide range of oversight requests within the core jurisdiction of the Committee—many of which had been bipartisan. House rules allow Committees to debate and vote on motions to issue subpoenas if a majority of Committee Members approve, but Gowdy has declined or ignored all requests to obtain these documents.

Today’s letter follows a previous request that Cummings sent to Gowdy on October 31, 2017, asking for six motions for subpoenas to be added to the agenda for the business meeting the Committee held on November 2, 2017—all of which were denied.

“We understand that you personally may disagree with our requests, but our Committee Members deserve the opportunity to debate and vote on these motions, rather than you blocking their consideration,” Cummings and Connolly wrote. “House rules provide for subpoenas to be issued by a vote of the full Committee, and we have repeatedly asked for the opportunity to do so. Many Members believe that we must use the full force of the Committee to uphold our Constitutional obligation to conduct rigorous oversight of the executive branch. We ask that you allow us to offer these motions, debate them, and hold votes.”


The motions listed in today’s letter relate to the following investigations in which documents that are currently being withheld:

• Trump Organization Withholding Documents on Foreign Payments

• DHS Withholding Documents on Russian Attacks Against States Before Election

• DHS Withholding Information from IG Report on Trump Muslim Ban

• White House and HHS Withholding Documents on Biased Refugee Report

• HHS Withholding Documents on Gag Order Against Whistleblowers

• Kushner Withholding Emails That Violate Presidential Records Act

• White House Withholding Documents on Security Clearance Suspensions

• Transition Team and DOJ Withholding Flynn, Jr.’s Security Clearance Documents

• White House Withholding Documents on Interim Security Clearances

• Flynn and Business Partners Withholding Documents on Middle East Nuclear Deal

• Data Firms Withholding Documents on Foreign Contacts During Election

• OMB Withholding Agency Downsizing Plans

• FDIC Withholding Documents on EPA Senior Advisor Banned from Banking


The six previous subpoena motions that were denied at the Committee’s November 2, 2017, business meeting were:

• White House Withholding Documents on Flynn’s Foreign Contacts

• White House Withholding Documents on Personal Email Use by Top Aides

• Jared Kushner and Ivanka Trump Withholding Documents on Emails

• White House Withholding Documents on Hurricane Response

• Governor Snyder Withholding Documents on Flint Water Investigation

• Kushner Companies Withholding Documents on Alleged Housing Abuses


Click here to read today’s letter.