Lewandowski refuses to appear again before Congress, Democrat says

WASHINGTON — Corey Lewandowski, President Donald Trump’s former campaign manager, is refusing to appear for a second time before the House Intelligence Committee, according to the panel’s top Democrat, who wants him forced to appear under subpoena.

Rep. Adam Schiff noted Wednesday that Lewandowski’s refusal comes the same week that former White House strategist Steve Bannon won a delay for the second time of his return under subpoena to appear before the panel that’s looking into Russian interference in the 2016 presidential campaign.

Lewandowski had been expected to return for a second, voluntary session behind closed doors to answer questions from the committee that he declined to answer in his Jan. 17 appearance — those touching on any topic after his departure from Trump’s presidential campaign. Schiff said Lewandowski now is refusing to return.

“Over the past several weeks, we have seen a developing pattern: Some witnesses have been postponed, others canceled, and two specifically have refused to answer questions about the events in the period following the election of Donald Trump as President,” Schiff said in a statement. “It will therefore be necessary for our committee to enforce the subpoena on Bannon, and now move to compel Lewandowski’s testimony.”

The committee’s Republican chairman, Devin Nunes, referred questions to the lead Republican in its Russia investigation, Mike Conaway, who didn’t immediately respond.