Washington—Today, Rep. Adam B. Schiff, the Chairman of the Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence, Rep. Eliot L. Engel, the Chairman of the Committee on Foreign Affairs, and Rep. Carolyn Maloney, the Acting Chairwoman of the Committee on Oversight and Reform, sent letters conveying subpoenas to two Office of Management and Budget officials, Associate Director for National Security Programs Michael Duffey and Acting Director Russell Vought, that compel them to appear at a deposition on November 5, 2019 and November 6, 2019, respectively, as part of the House of Representatives’ impeachment inquiry of President Donald Trump.

The Chairs also sent a letter conveying a subpoena to Department of State Counselor T. Ulrich Brechbuhl that compels him to appear at a deposition on November 6, 2019 as part of the House of Representatives’ impeachment inquiry of President Donald Trump.

“This deposition will be conducted jointly by the Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence, the Committee on Foreign Affairs, and the Committee on Oversight and Reform.  The deposition transcript shall be part of the impeachment inquiry and shared among the Committees.  Your failure or refusal to appear at the deposition, including at the direction or behest of the President or the White House, shall constitute evidence of obstruction of the House’s impeachment inquiry and may be used as an adverse inference against the President,” the Chairs wrote in their letter.

Refusal to Cooperate with Impeachment Inquiry

On October 11, 2019, the Committees sent a letter to Duffey requesting that he voluntarily appear for a deposition on October 23, 2019.  On October 21, 2019, the Office of Management and Budget informed the Committees that he would not voluntarily appear at a deposition per the White House Counsel’s October 8, 2019 letter.  The Committees therefore have no choice but to issue a subpoena compelling his mandatory appearance.

On October 11, 2019, the Committees sent a letter to Vought requesting that he voluntarily appear for a deposition on October 25, 2019.  On October 21, 2019, the Office of Management and Budget informed the Committees that he would not voluntarily appear at a deposition per the White House Counsel’s October 8, 2019 letter.  The Committees therefore have no choice but to issue a subpoena compelling his mandatory appearance.

On September 27, 2019, the Committees sent a letter to Brechbuhl requesting that he voluntarily appear for a deposition on October 8, 2019.  Brechbhul, through his counsel, informed the Committees that he would not voluntarily appear at a deposition.  The Committees therefore have no choice but to issue a subpoena compelling his mandatory appearance. 

Read the letters to Duffey, Vought and Brechbuhl. 

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