WASHINGTON – Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Lindsey Graham (R-South Carolina) today announced that the Committee would debate and vote on a subpoena authorization related to the FISA abuse investigation and oversight of the Crossfire Hurricane investigation.
Graham’s subpoena authorization covers a number of documents, communications and testimony from witnesses, including James Comey, Andrew McCabe, James Clapper, John Brennan, Sally Yates, and others.
The subpoena authorization will be first listed on the agenda for the Committee’s executive business meeting on May 21, 2020. The Committee is expected to vote on the subpoena authorization at its June 4, 2020 executive business meeting.
Background on Senate Judiciary Committee subpoena authorizations:
- Under Senate Judiciary Committee rules, the Chairman cannot unilaterally issue a subpoena. The Chairman can ONLY issue a subpoena with the consent of the Ranking Member or by a Committee vote.
- If approved by a majority of the Committee, the subpoena authorization gives the Chairman the ability to issue a subpoena for witnesses, documents or other materials.
- Subpoena authorization votes in the Senate Judiciary Committee are not common. Chairman Graham will use the precedent set by Chairman Leahy as a guideline for this subpoena authorization vote. On September 25, 2008, the Committee authorized subpoenas by party line vote.
Witnesses, documents and other materials covered by Graham’s subpoena authorization:
- Documents and communications referenced in, and testimony at a hearing or deposition of any individual named or identified by pseudonym in, the report titled “Review of Four FISA Applications and Other Aspects of the FBI’s Crossfire Hurricane Investigation” issued by the U.S. Department of Justice Inspector General
- Documents and communications related to, and the testimony at a hearing or deposition of any current or former executive branch official or employee involved in, the Crossfire Hurricane investigation (including investigations opened under the Crossfire Hurricane umbrella) or the receipt or analysis of reports prepared by Christopher Steele (commonly referred to as the “Steele dossier”)
- Documents, communications and testimony at a hearing or deposition related to any aforementioned matter from:
Trisha Anderson, Brian Auten, James Baker, William Barr, Dana Boente, Jennifer Boone, John Brennan, James Clapper, Kevin Clinesmith, James Comey, Patrick Conlon, Michael Dempsey, Stuart Evans, Tashina Gauhar, Carl Ghattas, Curtis Heide, Kathleen Kavalec, David Laufman, Stephen Laycock, Jacob Lew, Loretta Lynch, Andrew McCabe, Mary McCord, Denis McDonough, Arthur McGlynn, Jonathan Moffa, Sally Moyer, Mike Neufield, Sean Newell, Victoria Nuland, Bruce Ohr, Nellie Ohr, Stephanie L. O’Sullivan, Lisa Page, Joseph Pientka, John Podesta, Samantha Power, E.W. “Bill” Priestap, Sarah Raskin, Steve Ricchetti, Susan Rice, Rod Rosenstein, Gabriel Sanz-Rexach, Nathan Sheets, Elizabeth Sherwood-Randall, Glenn Simpson, Steve Somma, Peter Strzok, Michael Sussman, Adam Szubin, Jonathan Winer, Christopher Wray, and Sally Yates.
