Nadler's Next Move Is a Trip to Court

Now that he's heard from Robert Mueller, Jerry Nadler plans to go to court to demand that evidence the special prosecutor accumulated using a grand jury be turned over. Nadler has tried to get the Russia investigation information before; now a judge will be asked to enforce the House Judiciary Committee's subpoenas. Nadler wants the testimony of former White House counsel Don McGahn, as well. Court victories on those issues would "open the floodgates" of enforcement of subpoenas, and of evidence, Nadler said, per the Washington Post. Impeaching President Trump is still a possibility, the chairman said. "We are considering the malfeasances of the president, we’re considering what remedies we can do," Nadler said, "including the possibility of articles of impeachment." So far, about 100 House Democrats—but not Nancy Pelosi—back launching an impeachment inquiry.

The rules generally block releasing grand jury information, Politico points out, but committee lawyers say an impeachment proceeding would qualify as an exception. The suit would not ask that the evidence be made public, only that it be turned over to the committee. A Watergate ruling by District Judge John Sirica could allow that. Nadler said he'd go to court as early as Friday over the grand jury information, and early next week over McGahn's testimony. Pelosi has approved the lawsuits. Nadler said on CNN that "we will win the court fight, because the legal excuses the White House has been using are extraordinarily weak." Doug Collins, a House Republican, criticized the strategy. "Democrats want to convince their base they’re still wedded to impeachment even after this week’s hearing," Collins said, "but a baseless legal claim is an odd way to show that." (More House Judiciary Committee stories.)