Will Manafort claim the Fifth Amendment? Where does this leave Donald Jr.? – Newsweek
This article first appeared on the Just Security site.
On Monday night, the leaders of the Senate Judiciary Committee issued a subpoena to compel Paul Manafort, the former chairman of the Trump presidential campaign, to testify at a public hearing on Wednesday.
The subpoena came as a surprise because just days earlier, Manafort and Donald Trump Jr. had reached a deal with the panel where they would provide records and be interviewed privately (versus in open session) in order to avoid being subponeaed at that time.
Daily Emails and Alerts - Get the best of Newsweek delivered to your inbox
Paul Manafort, former Trump's campaign manager, at the Mayflower Hotel April 27, 2016 in Washington, DC. Chip Somodevilla/Getty
According to the statement from Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley and Ranking Member Dianne Feinstein, negotiations with Manafort broke down over who in Congress would be able to access his transcribed interview:
Mr. Manafort, through his attorney, said that he would be willing to provide only a single transcribed interview to Congress, which would not be available to the Judiciary Committee members or staff. While the Judiciary Committee was willing to cooperate on equal terms with any other committee to accommodate Mr. Manaforts request, ultimately that was not possible.
To better understand this latest development, I turned to Andy Wright, Just Security s in-house expert on congressional investigations, to help explain it.
Manafort made demands that the committee, and likely the broader Congress, could not accept.
The committee wanted to get a transcribed interview of Manafort and Trump, Jr. before any subsequent public hearing. Sen. Grassley, as committee chair, had threatened to issue subpoenas for a public hearing, and used that leverage to obtain agreements to voluntarily appear for transcribed interviews.
However, unlike a hearing under subpoena compulsion, someone who voluntarily appears can seek to extract some procedural concessions from the investigating committee. For example, witnesses might seek commitments on the duration, format, legal representation, and transcript access (so the witness can review for error).
Once negotiations broke down, the committee reverted to its compulsory subpoena power.
First, Manafort wanted to do only one transcribed interview before all of Congress.
From his perspective, one interview minimizes the risk that differences in his answers, whether semantic or material, would be used as a perjury trap.
However, its a terrible deal for Congress. A single shot would mean that other committees, including the Senate Intelligence Committee, the House Intelligence Committee, and the House Oversight Committee would all have to rely on the Senate Judiciarys single transcript.
More important, they would have had to rely on Senate Judiciarys questions. Other committees have different jurisdictions, different interests, and different memberships that may want to take questioning in other directions. Also, it might risk losing the opportunity to get Manafort on the record about facts we learn later.
It appears from the statement that the Senate Judiciary Committee was open to trying to play the pool reporter role for the other committees. I cant imagine any other committee would agree without being able to participate in the questions, and Senate Judiciary has no authority to extinguish other committees interests, especially in the House.
Perhaps Senate leadership could engage in deconfliction, but the House has its own prerogatives and constitutional role.
Second, Manafort sought to get an agreement that Grassley and Feinstein would restrict committee staff and member access to the interview transcript. That was a bridge too far. The transcript would then be of little utility to the investigators. Im not convinced that the committees or Senates rules would allow restrictions on Member access to non-classified materials, especially other committee members.
Confining Manaforts interview transcript within one committee would significantly hamper Congresss investigations.
Committees have different jurisdictions, interests, and agendas. For example, the Senate Intelligence Committee has interests in counterintelligence and Russian election interference. They have access to intelligence products that the Senate Judiciary Members do not.
Naturally, Senate Intelligence will have different questions for Manafort than Senate Judiciary. And those questions are critical to the overall inquiry.
Adding to the confusion, Manafort met with the Senate Intelligence Committee on Tuesday.
It is not unusual for witnesses to make requests that their transcripts, or certain topics covered, be kept confidential by a congressional committee. However, Congress almost never agrees. The problem here isnt that Manafort made the request, but that his legal team believed it was gettable.
Under both House and Senate rules, congressional subpoenas can command two things: production of documents and appearance to testify at a formal hearing or deposition. The rules do not permit compelled transcribed interviews.
That is why Congress uses its subpoena power threat, which raises the specter of public shaming, to extract agreements to sit for nonpublic transcribed interviews. That was the process here, but it apparently went off the rails.
Those negotiations would be separate, although Im sure his legal team is acutely monitoring these developments. We still dont know the terms of Trump, Jr.s interview.
If they dont strike a last-minute bargain, Manafort will need to appear at the hearing ready to testify on Wednesday. If he does not show, the Committee could find him in contempt.
I would not be surprised if Manafort pleads the Fifth at this point. However, given his meeting with the Senate Intelligence Committee, Manafort may have waived the Fifth at this point.
If he does show and testify, I anticipate he will get extremely rough treatment by members of both parties.
Kate Brannen is the deputy managing editor of Just Security and a nonresident senior fellow at the Brent Scowcroft Center on International Security at the Atlantic Council.
Andy Wright is a professor at Savannah Law School and former Associate Counsel to the President in the White House Counsels Office.
Continue reading here:
Will Manafort claim the Fifth Amendment? Where does this leave Donald Jr.? - Newsweek
- Ex-IU doctor Brad Bomba Sr. invoked Fifth Amendment 45 times in deposition over alleged abuse - Yahoo! Voices - December 18th, 2024 [December 18th, 2024]
- President Muizzu ratifies the fifth amendment to the Criminal Procedure Act - The Edition - December 18th, 2024 [December 18th, 2024]
- Doctor accused of abusing Indiana University athletes repeatedly invokes Fifth Amendment in deposition - NBC News - December 16th, 2024 [December 16th, 2024]
- Ex-IU doctor Brad Bomba Sr. invoked Fifth Amendment 45 times in deposition over alleged abuse - The Herald-Times - December 16th, 2024 [December 16th, 2024]
- The Constitution: The Twenty-Fifth Amendment - Houston Public Media - November 28th, 2024 [November 28th, 2024]
- Karen Read accused of weaponizing Fifth Amendment by seeking to delay civil trial - CBS Boston - October 31st, 2024 [October 31st, 2024]
- Mother and grandmother of Willacy County murder victim invoke Fifth Amendment during trial - KRGV - August 20th, 2024 [August 20th, 2024]
- This Is What the Twenty-fifth Amendment Was Designed For - The New Yorker - July 4th, 2024 [July 4th, 2024]
- Young Thug trial: State witness held in contempt, taken into custody - The Atlanta Journal Constitution - June 12th, 2024 [June 12th, 2024]
- That's Not How Pleading The Fifth Works - Above the Law - June 12th, 2024 [June 12th, 2024]
- Why was Lil Woody arrested? Rapper invokes Fifth Amendment against self-incrimination to avoid testifying in Young ... - Sportskeeda - June 12th, 2024 [June 12th, 2024]
- New Ad Taunts Trump: 'Take the Stand, Donald, or Admit You're a Coward' - The New York Times - May 18th, 2024 [May 18th, 2024]
- How Democrats In Arizona Are Damaging The Fifth Amendment - The Daily Wire - May 1st, 2024 [May 1st, 2024]
- Social Media Platforms Have Property Rights Too - Reason - April 16th, 2024 [April 16th, 2024]
- Utah high court rules suspects don't have to provide police with phone passcodes - The Record from Recorded Future News - December 21st, 2023 [December 21st, 2023]
- Utah Supreme Court says accused don't have to share cellphone passwords with police - Salt Lake Tribune - December 21st, 2023 [December 21st, 2023]
- High court must uphold constitutional taking clause to protect ... - The Midwest Center for Investigative Reporting - November 9th, 2023 [November 9th, 2023]
- Jump Crypto chief pled Fifth over alleged backroom Do Kwon deal - Protos - November 9th, 2023 [November 9th, 2023]
- Donald Trump civil trial in Manhattan: Maybe he's not trying to win ... - Slate - November 9th, 2023 [November 9th, 2023]
- Commission weighs whether to discipline Illinois judge who ... - St. Louis Post-Dispatch - November 9th, 2023 [November 9th, 2023]
- Smith Sentenced To Probation In Break-In At Sheriff's Residence - wkdzradio.com - November 9th, 2023 [November 9th, 2023]
- SCOTUS accepts 43 cases this term; 20 scheduled for argument so ... - Ballotpedia News - November 9th, 2023 [November 9th, 2023]
- Movie Review - Anatomy of a Fall | The-m-report | wboc.com - WBOC TV 16 - November 9th, 2023 [November 9th, 2023]
- Another Result Before It Happens: The Trump Civil Case In New York - Above the Law - November 9th, 2023 [November 9th, 2023]
- The inherent American rights involved during and after an arrest - FOX 29 - June 15th, 2023 [June 15th, 2023]
- She was killed walking home. Two men are now on trial for her ... - CBS 6 News Richmond WTVR - June 15th, 2023 [June 15th, 2023]
- Are Abortion Bans Takings? - Reason - June 15th, 2023 [June 15th, 2023]
- Ex-San Francisco Official Offers Alibi for One of Series of Bear-Spray ... - The San Francisco Standard - June 15th, 2023 [June 15th, 2023]
- Road project threatens preserved farmland | News | dailycourier.com - Front Page - June 15th, 2023 [June 15th, 2023]
- Teacher, accused of seven felonies, pleads his case to Grand Island ... - Grand Island Independent - June 15th, 2023 [June 15th, 2023]
- "That is a crime of cinema": After Saving Vin Diesel's Career With an ... - FandomWire - June 15th, 2023 [June 15th, 2023]
- There Is No 'Moving On' From Corruption, by Laura Hollis - Creators Syndicate - June 15th, 2023 [June 15th, 2023]
- Left-wing Democrats Running Roughshod Over Constitutional ... - The New York Sun - June 15th, 2023 [June 15th, 2023]
- Tether SEC Action? USDT Selling Floods Liquidity Pools in Wake of ... - CCN.com - June 15th, 2023 [June 15th, 2023]
- Essential Education: Professor, attorney discuss importance of ... - LA Downtown News Online - June 4th, 2023 [June 4th, 2023]
- Inside The Murder Of Kristin Smart And How Her Killer Was Caught - All That's Interesting - June 4th, 2023 [June 4th, 2023]
- Louisiana's Sabine River Authority Not Entitled To Sovereign Immunity - The Energy Law Blog - May 27th, 2023 [May 27th, 2023]
- Ken Paxton Impeached on 20 Charges Including Bribery ... - The Texan - May 27th, 2023 [May 27th, 2023]
- Don Carmignani Recounts Brutal Beating From Witness Stand - The San Francisco Standard - May 27th, 2023 [May 27th, 2023]
- Simply losing it: Bitter fight brews over federal judges forced retirement effort - Yahoo! Voices - May 27th, 2023 [May 27th, 2023]
- Trump Organization finishes last in brand reputation survey for second straight year - The Hill - May 27th, 2023 [May 27th, 2023]
- Jekyll Island Authority board names new director | Local News ... - Brunswick News - May 27th, 2023 [May 27th, 2023]
- They held down a Black teen who tried to shoplift. He died from ... - Wisconsin Examiner - May 27th, 2023 [May 27th, 2023]
- Police officer charged with obstruction for allegedly leaking information to Proud Boys leader - WAPT Jackson - May 20th, 2023 [May 20th, 2023]
- Deputies ordered to answer questions about knowledge of gangs in LA County Sheriffs Department - Daily Breeze - May 20th, 2023 [May 20th, 2023]
- The 1950s Hollywood Blacklist Was an Assault on Free Expression - Jacobin magazine - May 20th, 2023 [May 20th, 2023]
- Will There Finally be Some Development on the Land Condemned ... - Reason - May 8th, 2023 [May 8th, 2023]
- Justice Scalia's Unpublished Dissent in Kelo v. City of New London - Reason - May 8th, 2023 [May 8th, 2023]
- Jurors to continue deliberations in trial for Woodson man accused of ... - Northwest Arkansas Democrat-Gazette - May 8th, 2023 [May 8th, 2023]
- The Red Scare Led to One of the Greatest Westerns of All Time - Collider - May 8th, 2023 [May 8th, 2023]
- The Ghost of Ayn Rand as a Climate Activist? - InDepthNH.org - May 8th, 2023 [May 8th, 2023]
- Florida oversight board sues Walt Disney Company in ongoing legal ... - JURIST - May 8th, 2023 [May 8th, 2023]
- Suspended gynecologist accused of getting aroused during vaginal deliveries faces massive lawsuit from dozens of women - Law & Crime - May 8th, 2023 [May 8th, 2023]
- Suffolk grand jury could bring criminal charges against CPS workers in Thomas Valva child-abuse case - Newsday - May 8th, 2023 [May 8th, 2023]
- Trump will answer questions in New York fraud lawsuit, lawyer says - Daily Herald - April 13th, 2023 [April 13th, 2023]
- Why the Founding Fathers passed the Fourth Amendment to the ... - Tennessean - April 13th, 2023 [April 13th, 2023]
- Appeals court rejects Peter Navarro's bid to retain hundreds of ... - POLITICO - April 13th, 2023 [April 13th, 2023]
- In Proud Boys Jan. 6 Sedition Trial, FBI Informants Abound - The New York Times - March 28th, 2023 [March 28th, 2023]
- Supreme Court Should Take and Reverse Fifth Circuit Decision that ... - Reason - March 28th, 2023 [March 28th, 2023]
- Court Action Underscores Peril for Trump in Documents Investigation - The New York Times - March 28th, 2023 [March 28th, 2023]
- CINCINNATI FINANCIAL CORP : Creation of a Direct Financial Obligation or an Obligation under an Off-Balance Sheet Arrangement of a Registrant,... - March 28th, 2023 [March 28th, 2023]
- Hartselle police: Chiropractor ingested lead to allay suspicion - Yahoo! Voices - March 28th, 2023 [March 28th, 2023]
- Georgia judge orders Fulton County DA to respond to Trumps motion seeking to quash grand jury report - Yahoo News - March 28th, 2023 [March 28th, 2023]
- Missing Franklin woman's children await answers on 2-year ... - WDJT - March 28th, 2023 [March 28th, 2023]
- Congressional oversight of the Trump International Hotel, civil rights ... - SCOTUSblog - March 28th, 2023 [March 28th, 2023]
- Rajya Sabha adjourned for the day over opposition protest - The Economic Times - March 28th, 2023 [March 28th, 2023]
- Why Civil Asset Forfeitures Need To End And Soon Could - Forbes - March 28th, 2023 [March 28th, 2023]
- The Dangerous Journey of John Eastman - Washington Monthly - March 28th, 2023 [March 28th, 2023]
- The Speaker Gets to do What he Wants to do,' Michael Madigan is Heard Saying at Secretly Recorded Leadership Meeting - NBC Chicago - March 28th, 2023 [March 28th, 2023]
- Letter to the editor: Rent control is government intrusion - Press Herald - March 28th, 2023 [March 28th, 2023]
- 1 year after FreeFall tragedy: Where the criminal investigation stands - WESH 2 Orlando - March 28th, 2023 [March 28th, 2023]
- Lange Refuses to Stop Demolition of Strizheus House, But Says City ... - Dakota Free Press - March 28th, 2023 [March 28th, 2023]
- Form 10-K Evolve Transition Infras For: Dec 31 - StreetInsider.com - March 28th, 2023 [March 28th, 2023]
- 11 exonerated men sue city detective Reynald Guevara - CBS News - March 28th, 2023 [March 28th, 2023]
- California man charged with felony cocaine possession at airport - Idaho Mountain Express and Guide - March 28th, 2023 [March 28th, 2023]
- Alex Murdaugh and whether to testify in your own defense - ABA Journal - March 28th, 2023 [March 28th, 2023]
- B.C. 'pump and dump' defendants' assets can be frozen by SEC - Vancouver Is Awesome - March 28th, 2023 [March 28th, 2023]
- self-incrimination | Wex | US Law | LII / Legal Information Institute - March 14th, 2023 [March 14th, 2023]
- TeraWulf Inc. Enters into the Fifth Amendment to Its Loan, Guaranty and Security Agreement - Marketscreener.com - March 14th, 2023 [March 14th, 2023]
- Tmc the Metals Company Inc. Enters into Fifth Amendment to Pilot Mining Test Agreement and Third Amendment to Strategic Alliance Agreement, Which Is... - February 24th, 2023 [February 24th, 2023]