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Ryan has warning for ex-FBI lawyer: Subpoena is ‘not optional’
WASHINGTON — House Speaker Paul Ryan is warning former FBI lawyer Lisa Page that she must appear for a private interview with two House committees investigating the Justice Department or the House could take action against her.
Page’s attorney said late Tuesday that she would not appear for a private interfull view Wednesday with the House Judiciary and Oversight and Government Reform committees, despite a subpoena. In response, House Judiciary Chairman Robert Goodlatte said Page has known for months about an interview, and the committee will use “all tools at our disposal” to obtain it.
If a witness does not respond to a subpoena, the House can vote to hold that person in contempt of Congress. Ryan said Wednesday the House will “do what we need to do to protect this branch of government” and that he stands behind Goodlatte.
“A subpoena to testify before Congress is not optional; it’s mandatory,” Ryan said.
The committees are interested in Page as part of their investigation into what they say is bias at the Justice Department. Page exchanged text messages critical of Donald Trump with FBI agent Peter Strzok, who will testify publicly before the panel Thursday. Page and Strzok both worked on the FBI investigation into Democrat Hillary Clinton’s emails and, later, on special counsel Robert Mueller’s Russia investigation.
House Republicans have suggested the FBI was conspiring against Trump during and after his presidential campaign, and the two committees are investigating decisions made by the agency and the Justice Department during the 2016 presidential election. Democrats have strongly objected to the GOP-led investigation, saying it is an attempt to undermine Mueller’s probe and sway public opinion against investigators.
It’s unclear if GOP lawmakers will actually hold a contempt vote if Page continues to defy the subpoena.
Page’s lawyer Amy Jeffress said Tuesday evening that Page didn’t have enough time to prepare and had asked the two House committees to schedule another date. Because they would not, “Lisa is not going to appear for an interview at this time.”
In a new statement Wednesday, Jeffress said Page had offered to voluntarily appear before the committees later this month, but needed more clarification about what the lawmakers would be asking.