Saturday on Fox News Channel’s “Justice,” Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC), the chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, explained his reluctance to call former President Barack Obama to testify before his committee despite calls from President Donald Trump for it to occur.
If I were a Senator or Congressman, the first person I would call to testify about the biggest political crime and scandal in the history of the USA, by FAR, is former President Obama. He knew EVERYTHING. Do it @LindseyGrahamSC, just do it. No more Mr. Nice Guy. No more talk!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) May 14, 2020
Graham said such an event would be unprecedented and unwelcome if his House counterparts Reps. Jerry Nadler (D-NY) and Adam Schiff (D-CA), the chairmen of the House Judiciary and Intelligence Committees, respectively, did the same thing with Trump.
“I’m a little reluctant to do that,” Graham replied. “Number one — President Obama, you’re welcome to come to the Judiciary Committee and tell us why you think the General [Michael] Flynn case should go forward, why it’s a violation of the rule of law to drop it. You’re welcome to come talk about everything you did with Crossfire Hurricane and your knowledge. But here’s what I would say: If Nadler and Schiff tried to subpoena President Trump to go to the House, the president would say, ‘No.’ All of us would be all over them.”
“Nobody is above the law, including Barack Obama,” he continued. “If I find any evidence of criminal wrongdoing, I’ll turn it over to the prosecutor in this case, Mr. Durham from Connecticut. But I am a separate branch of government. I have oversight over the executive branch. There’s a separation of powers issue here, and in over 200 years, we’ve never had a president called before the Congress — probably for a reason. But Barack Obama will be held accountable if he did anything wrong in the prosecution system, not the political system.”
Follow Jeff Poor on Twitter @jeff_poor
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