The Senate Judiciary Committee voted Thursday to authorize subpoenas for more than 50 individuals as Republicans ramp up their investigation into the 2016 Russia probe.
In a 12-10 party-line vote, Republicans on the panel gave Chairman Lindsey Graham
Lindsey Olin GrahamThe Hill's Campaign Report: Bad polling data is piling up for Trump Graham challenger proposes four debates The Hill's Morning Report - Trump's public standing sags after Floyd protests MORE (R-S.C.) broad authority to subpoena the individuals, who include high-profile Obama administration officials, for interviews or documents tied to his investigation.
Graham, who has aligned himself closely with Trump in a year both are seeking reelection, has defended the probe, despite deep frustrations among members of the committee.
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"I find myself in a position where I think we need to look long and hard about how the Mueller investigation got off the rails," he said on Thursday. “This committee is not going to sit on the sidelines and move on.”
Graham is doing a broad investigation that includes probing "Crossfire Hurricane," the name of the FBI's investigation into Russian election interference and the Trump campaign.
Thursday's vote gives Graham the power to subpoena officials including former FBI Director James Comey
James Brien ComeyThis week: Democrats introduce sweeping police reform package Graham postpones Russia probe subpoena vote as tensions boil over GOP votes to give chairman authority to subpoena Obama officials MORE, former national security advisor Susan Rice and former Director of National Intelligence James Clapper
James Robert ClapperGraham postpones Russia probe subpoena vote as tensions boil over The Hill's Morning Report - Presented by Facebook - Trump tweets as tensions escalate across US Trump asserts his power over Republicans MORE.
He was also granted subpoena power to compel documents and records referenced in Justice Department inspector general Michael Horowitz's review of Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA) warrant applications related to former Trump campaign aide Carter Page, as well as testimony from anyone named in the report.
The vote also gives Graham authority to subpoena documents or testimony from "any current or former executive branch official or employee involved in, the Crossfire Hurricane investigation ... or the receipt or analysis of reports prepared by Christopher Steele," who compiled an infamous opposition research dossier against then-candidate Trump.
Democrats tried several times to amend the subpoena to include Trump allies and former aides, including former Trump lawyer Michael Cohen
Michael Dean CohenDemocrats aim to amend Graham subpoena to include Trump allies Harris, Jeffries question why Manafort, Cohen released while others remain in prison Rosenstein to testify as part of Graham's Russia investigation probe MORE, former Trump campaign adviser Rick Gates
Rick GatesDemocrats aim to amend Graham subpoena to include Trump allies Former Trump campaign aide asks to finish prison sentence at home, citing coronavirus Juan Williams: Mueller, one year on MORE, former national security advisor Michael Flynn, Trump son-in-law and adviser Jared Kushner
Jared Corey KushnerHouse GOP delays police reform bill White House says Trump may issue executive order on police reform Senate GOP shifts on police reform MORE and former Trump campaign manager Paul Manafort
Paul John ManafortTrump taps Lewandowski, Bossie for Commission on Presidential Scholars Harris, Jeffries question why Manafort, Cohen released while others remain in prison Cohen released from federal prison to home confinement due to coronavirus concerns MORE. Republicans rejected the amendments in a party line vote.
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More than an hour into the meeting, Durbin said he still had five amendments related to subpoenaing individuals that the GOP majority “doesn’t want to hear from.” When Graham asked if he wanted to merge the subpoenas into one vote, Durbin replied, “no, I don’t.”
Democrats have also indicated that they want to hear from former special counsel Robert Mueller
Robert (Bob) MuellerCNN's Toobin warns McCabe is in 'perilous condition' with emboldened Trump CNN anchor rips Trump over Stone while evoking Clinton-Lynch tarmac meeting The Hill's 12:30 Report: New Hampshire fallout MORE. Graham said on Thursday that he was open to hearing from Mueller or a Mueller-team designee, though members did not vote to do so during the committee meeting.
Under committee rules, Graham can issue a subpoena either as part of a deal with ranking member Dianne Feinstein
Dianne Emiel FeinsteinGOP's Obama-era probes fuel Senate angst GOP chairmen stake out turf in Obama-era probes Rosenstein takes fire from Republicans in heated testimony MORE (D-Calif.) or with a majority vote of the committee. Because Republicans hold a 12-10 majority on the panel they were able to grant Graham the subpoena power as long as every GOP senator voted for it.
But Feinstein argued that it would break the spirit of committee rules because Graham would not have to come back to the panel for specific subpoenas and was, instead, trying to “grant himself unilateral subpoena authority.”
“The resolution would give the chair sole authority to issue literally hundreds of subpoenas without any agreement from the ranking member of any committee vote on any specific subpoena,” she added.
Feinstein also tried to add that would also allow Democrats to be able to issue subpoenas, but Republicans rejected that along party lines.
Graham's investigation comes as Senate Republicans are increasingly embracing Trump's call to investigate decisions stemming from the Obama administration and the Russia probe, which the president, his allies and some members of Graham's committee have called a "witch hunt."
Graham has denied that his probe is motivated by politics or pressure from Trump, who has publicly urged him to lean into the investigation. But he wants to release a report on his findings by October, keeping the issue in the spotlight in the final weeks leading up to the election.
The plan has sparked fierce tensions with Democrats both on and off the Judiciary Committee, which has been at the center of high-profile fights in recent years.
The committee had initially been expected to approve the subpoena last week, but Graham announced mid-meeting that they would delay the vote because of a time crunch as they brushed up against a previously scheduled Senate vote.
"We're going to do what this committee needs to do, and we're going to fight it out and we're going to vote. ... I think the best thing for us to do is [to] carry this over to next week so we can have a full discussion," Graham said last week.
His decision came as frustrations were running high amid the business meeting.
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"This is about a president who just can't get over it, maybe he will never will, and by a chairman who wants him to have another day to make his point about how he was mistreated," Sen. Dick Durbin
Richard (Dick) Joseph DurbinSenate at logjam over changing 'qualified immunity' for police Some realistic solutions for income inequality Senate GOP shifts on police reform MORE (D-Ill.) told Graham during the meeting.
Sen. Ben Sasse
Benjamin (Ben) Eric SasseSenate GOP shifts on police reform Republicans walk tightrope on police reform McConnell taps Tim Scott to assemble GOP police reform legislation MORE (R-Neb.) accused his colleagues of grandstanding because the hearing was being carried live by TV cameras, saying that it's "bullshit the way people grandstand for cameras in here" and that "90 percent of our committees are about people trolling for soundbites."
Democrats view Graham's investigation as an attempt to launch a fishing expedition against Trump's political enemies heading into the election, and one that could inadvertently spread Russian misinformation.
“Unfortunately, it appears that Senate Republicans now plan to spend the next several months bolstering the president’s attack on the Russia investigation and his Democratic nominee, Democrat Joe Biden
Joe BidenJon Ossoff to challenge David Perdue after winning Georgia Democratic primary Floyd's brother urges Congress to take action Schumer blocks resolution opposing calls to defund police MORE. Congress should not conduct politically motivated investigations designed to attack or help any presidential candidate," Feinstein said.
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