House Votes To Let Its Leaders Pursue Contempt Lawsuits In Trump Inquiries
The chamber sidestepped what might have been an even uglier showdown with the executive branch but opened the door to years of litigation over Russia, taxes, security clearances and more.
The House has authorized its committee leaders to pursue civil contempt cases in order to get information for their myriad investigations into President Trump.
Although the vote, 229-191, clears the way for more lawsuits against Cabinet departments, administration officials, bankers, accountants and more, it represented a sidestep from a more aggressive partisan confrontation that might have been.
Leaders in the House had contemplated holding Attorney General William Barr and former White House counsel Don McGahn in contempt of Congress.
Barr would have been only the second attorney general so censured, and the rare sitting Cabinet member rebuked in that way. Instead, the resolution that
