Friday on CNN’s “Right Now,” House Oversight Committee member Rep. Gerry Connolly (D- VA) discussed Congress’ subpoenas to current and former White House aides and officials.
When asked about potential consequences for anyone defying subpoenas, Connolly said, “Congress has immense powers, and if you want to go to war with Congress, you do so at your own peril.”
He continued, “First of all there is the issuing of subpoenas, then there is contempt of Congress citations, and then there is going to court to insist on the enforcement of subpoenas. By the way, if you violate a court order now, you’re in criminal contempt of court, and you can go to jail for that. That’s what I was talking about. Incarceration can be in your future, either through the court system or in the extraordinary and not used for a while power of Congress. Congress has the power, and the Supreme Court rulings in the past have upheld that power, to actually arrest and incarcerate individuals who don’t cooperate with lawful subpoenas issued by the Congress. ”
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