Former FBI lawyer Lisa Page might be held in contempt of Congress because she rejected a subpoena to testify before a House Judiciary Committee hearing scheduled for Wednesday.
Rep. Bob Goodlatte (R-VA), Chairman of the House Judiciary Committee, and Rep. Trey Gowdy, Chairman of the House Oversight Committee, send Page’s lawyer Amy Jeffress an ultimatum after she failed to appear for the hearing — demanding she appear for 10 AM hearings this Thursday or Friday. If she does not comply by Friday the 13th at 10:30 AM, the House will initiate contempt proceedings.
Speaker of the House Paul Ryan (R-WI) backed up Goodlatte’s threat of contempt. “If she wants to come plead the Fifth, that’s her choice,” Ryan said, but she must appear and testify to comply with the congressional subpoena. “I stand behind chairman Goodlatte a hundred percent on this.”
Jeffress issued the following statement before Page stood up the committee:
Instead of responding to our requests to explain the scope of the interview and provide sufficient notice to allow her to prepare, the Committees chose to issue a subpoena on Saturday (July 7) demanding that Lisa appear on Wednesday, July 11. The Committees would be asking Lisa about materials that she has not yet been shown. In fact, Lisa and I wen to the FBI today to review the materials that were previously produced to Congress relating to her proposed interview, but after waiting for more than three hours, we were not provided with any documents. We have asked the Committees to schedule another date that would allow sufficient time for her to prepare. The Committees have not honored this request. As a result, Lisa is not going to appear for an interview at this time.
However, Rep. Mark Meadows (R-NC) contradicted the claim that Page did not review any documents at the FBI.
Goodlatte said Tuesday that lawmakers would “use all tools” at their disposal to obtain Page’s testimony, adding that she appears to have “something to hide.”
President Donald Trump also weighed in on Page and FBI agent Peter Strzok’s conduct:
I am on Air Force One flying to NATO and hear reports that the FBI lovers, Peter Strzok and Lisa Page are getting cold feet on testifying about the Rigged Witch Hunt headed by 13 Angry Democrats and people that worked for Obama for 8 years. Total disgrace!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) July 10, 2018
Text messages exchanged between Page and Strzok revealed the pair to view themselves as defending America from Trump.
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