Pascrell, Lieu Hammer Republicans Shielding Trump’s Abuses

Republican-controlled committee votes to bottle up resolution that would expose Donald Trump’s pardons to sunlight

WASHINGTON, DC – U.S. Representatives Bill Pascrell, Jr. (D-NJ-09) and Ted Lieu (D-CA-33) today denounced the Republican-led House Judiciary Committee after it voted along party lines to block the passage of H. Res. 928, their Resolution of Inquiry that would impose proper oversight of Donald Trump’s abuse of the pardon power. Following the committee hearing on the resolution, Pascrell and Lieu issued a joint statement:

“Donald Trump’s abuse of his pardon power continues to represent a danger to our constitutional foundations. In virtually no other domestic area is the President’s power so unrestrained. Individual pardons are not subject to judicial review, and so the executive holds life-and-death authority at the stroke of a pen. Based on his actions, this power has clearly enamored a man who once played an executive on the television. Through pardons, the law gets to be what the President says it is. By pardoning unrepentant felons and racists, as well as anyone famous enough to grab his ear, Donald Trump is abusing that power and contemplating terrifying further degradations.

“In ordinary times, such acts alone might be considered impeachable offenses or at the least the focus of intense scrutiny. But 286 congressional Republicans have said nary a word. And today, congressional Republicans have chosen, yet again, to look the other way to rampant corruption in this administration. That corruption is eating away at the bedrocks of this republic that have been laid and repeatedly fortified, regardless of party, for 242 years. We do not accept it. We will continue to exercise every tool at our disposal to stop this debasement. This fight isn’t over.”

The Lieu/Pascrell Resolution of Inquiry directs the Attorney General Jeff Sessions to provide to the House of Representatives any documents, recordings, memos, records, or other communications relating to any pardon Donald Trump has issued or has considered issuing, including those potentially involving Michael Cohen, Paul Manafort, Mike Flynn, George Papadopoulos, and anyone else including Trump’s family and himself.

Resolutions of Inquiry are one of the methods used by the House to obtain information from the executive branch. The House traditionally ‘‘requests’’ the President and ‘‘directs’’ the heads of executive departments to furnish information.

Rep. Pascrell has been one of Congress’s most vocal voices calling for greater oversight of Donald Trump and of his use of the pardon power, publishing a joint op-ed in USA Today on the subject last week. Pascrell wrote another an op-ed on the subject in May, and has also introduced two Resolutions of Inquiry seeking information on Trump’s personal and business tax returns and other financial information that has remained hidden from public scrutiny.

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