Posted on 10/17/2017 2:44:02 PM PDT by TBP
On Oct. 4, the House Intelligence Committee subpoenaed Fusion GPS, the opposition research firm at the center of the Trump dossier affair. On Monday, the company told the House what it can do with its subpoena. Fusion GPS chief Glenn Simpson and two others will "invoke their constitutional privileges not to testify," Simpson's lawyers told the committee in a letter. The panel shouldn't even bother to call Simpson to the hearing room, the lawyers said, because he won't answer their questions under any circumstances.
It seems unlikely the House will grant that request. If Simpson and two other GPS officials are going to assert their right against self-incrimination, lawmakers, or at least the majority Republican lawmakers on the committee, will want to hear it first-hand.
What is striking about Fusion's refusal is the form it took. Notifying the House that Simpson and the others will not testify took one paragraph. Yet Fusion sent a 17-page letter to the intelligence committee, going to great lengths to argue that Chairman Devin Nunes is not qualified to issue the subpoena.
“Don’t hold your breath. This is just a game.”
Agreed! But at least we should get some first-hand evidence that these people are actually the smarmy crooks we know them to be. If these “Congressional Investigative Committees” ( that are just Kabuki Theater) should give us some free entertainment.
I strongly encourage everyone to google “hinds precedents” and “canon precedents” and read the sections referenced
. It is a scanned copy of real old Congressional Records in a pdf file.
Congress has ALL the power in washington, the executive and judicial branch operate according to the whims of CONGRESS!
“U.S. CODE
TITLE 2—THE CONGRESS
CHAPTER 6—CONGRESSIONAL AND COMMITTEE PROCEDURE; INVESTIGATIONS
Sec. 193. Privilege of witnesses
No witness is privileged to refuse to testify to any fact, or to produce any paper, respecting which he shall be examined by either House of Congress, or by any joint committee established by a joint or concurrent resolution of the two Houses of Congress, or by any committee of either House, upon the ground that his testimony to such fact or his production of such paper may tend to disgrace him or otherwise render him infamous.”
Simply look up Hinds Precedents, especially chapters 53 and 51, and Cannon’s Precedents, especially chapters 184-185. You’ll find numerous detailed cases of Congress asserting its power, arresting people, holding them until they agreed to answer questions, and then releasing them. Some of these people did not refuse to appear, but simply failed to satisfactorily answer questions. One has to wonder how a previous Congress might have responded to Alberto Gonzales’s endless recitations of “I do not recall.”
Congress can Remove the President
Congress can remove the head of every executive agency Congress can remove ALL of their employees
Congress can Abolish every agency they so choose
Congress can remove EVERY JUDGE IN AMERICA, including every supreme court justice.
Congress can abolish every federal court except the supreme Court
Congress can decide which cases the Judicial Branch can hear and decide
CONGRESS can Imprison ANYONE they want for any reason they so desire for as long as they wish.
Congress can declare WAR
No other governing body has even 10% of the power CONGRESS has!!
CONGRESS IS ALLOWING ALL OF IT!!!
Congress has the authority to arrest and imprison those found in Contempt. The power extends throughout the United States and is an inherent power (does not depend upon legislated act)
If found in Contempt the person can be arrested under a warrant of the Speaker of the House of Representatives or President of the Senate, by the respective Sergeant at Arms.
Statutory criminal contempt is an alternative to inherent contempt.
Under the inherent contempt power Congress may imprison a person for a specific period of time or an indefinite period of time, except a person imprisoned by the House of Representatives may not be imprisoned beyond adjournment of a session of Congress.
Imprisonment may be coercive or punitive.
Some references
[1] Joseph Story’s Commentaries on the Constitution, Volume 2, § 842 http://press-pubs.uchicago.edu/founders/print_documents/a1_5s21.html
[2] Anderson v. Dunn - 19 U.S. 204 - “And, as to the distance to which the process might reach, it is very clear that there exists no reason for confining its operation to the limits of the District of Columbia; after passing those limits, we know no bounds that can be prescribed to its range but those of the United States.” http://supreme.justia.com/cases/federal/us/19/204/case.html
[3] Jurney v. MacCracken, 294 U.S. 125 http://supreme.justia.com/cases/federal/us/294/125/case.html 73rd Cong., 78 Cong. Rec. 2410 (1934) https://archive.org/details/congressionalrec78aunit
[4] McGrain v. Daugherty, 273 U.S. 135 - Under a warrant issued by the President of the Senate the Deputy to the Senate Sergeant at Arms arrested at Cincinnati, Ohio, Mally S. Daugherty, who had been twice subpoenaed by the Senate and twice failed to appear. http://supreme.justia.com/cases/federal/us/273/135/case.html
[5] Rules of the House of Representatives, Rule IV Duties of the Sergeant at Arms - [] execute the commands of the House, and all processes issued by authority thereof, directed to him by the Speaker. http://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/HMAN-105/pdf/HMAN-105-pg348.pdf
[6] An analysis of Congressional inquiry, subpoena, and enforcement http://www.constitutionproject.org/documents/when-congress-comes-calling-a-primer-on-the-principles-practices-and-pragmatics-of-legislative-inquiry/
In 1857, a New York Times reporter refused to say which members of Congress had asked him to get them bribes (protecting his “sources” just as various Judith Millers today protect the people who feed them proven lies that costs thousands of lives), so Congress locked him up until he answered and then banned him from Congress.
I guess they think they did something criminal
It’s legal to assume they have committed a crime when they take the fifth.
The FBI should be questioning them.
Well, except for the FBI is IN ON IT.
This certainly calls for enhanced interrogation techniques.
Contempt of Congress
Congress have long abandoned their power, except to make money and make themselves exempt from the Laws they do generate for others.
Congress have long abandoned their power
Sad but True, However I still believe there are 2 people that could turn this all around if they chose to. I believe if Rush and Hannity both went on the Offensive so to speak with RIDICULE, they could Force these issues.
Rush: Once again Paul Ryan and Mitch McConnell appears to have both taken the bribe money and are following the orders handed down to Chuck Schumer and Nancy Peolosi by Hillary and George Soros in refusing to do xyz.
Ridicule is a very powerful weapon and so is insinuating without accusing Criminal Treasonous Behavior. The Public will see the Truth, that these people are the ENEMY
WIll never happen, but would be the most powerful and effective weapon we have against the Ruling Class.
It is arguable that an individual for their own Rights, could take the 5th... to the extent of vindication of their desiring not to incriminate themselves. But,on the part of a corporation... a corporation cannot “take the 5th” even though money has been ruled by the Supreme Court to be... “speech”. They can’t plead the 5th as a company, and so they can be punished for public criminal behaviour in refusing sworn testimony. Again, not the individuals (whose counsel could advise them to do so— much to their detriment might add).
100% GUILTY. Cooked the whole thing up with McCain and the rest of the Swamp Creatures.
Make them come in and make them take the 5th — repeatedly. They should not be let off the hook by not forcing them to actually plead the 5th on each question.
Fine with me. Call them up, seat them. Then ask them several questions. MAKE them invoke the 5th. Ask them if they were “part of a Hillary dirty tricks scheme”. Ask “if they took money from the DNC to propagate a false dossier”. Ask them questions that let everyone know precisely what they did......and watch them humiliated in front of the nation.
“The panel shouldn’t even bother to call Simpson to the hearing room, the lawyers said, because he won’t answer their questions under any circumstances. “
Make them say it...right on TV. You don’t have to answer questions you worms, but you have to appear.
Make them take the fifth on national TV.
Media to Fusion GPS: “We’ve got your back!”
The media will support this obstruction so much it might even distract them from checking the spelling in Trump’s tweets.
The Uniparty is filled with a batch full of losers.
Afraid of incriminating themselves? Gee, why is that?
They need a trip to Gitmo to learn that a waterboard is not for surfing.
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