The Obamagate dominoes are slowly starting to topple. Senator Ron Johnson lined up 35 witness subpoenas in a neat little row, ready for the big push. His partner Lindsey Graham has a stack of his own to send out soon.
Subpoenas flying like snowflakes
South Carolina republican Lindsey Graham has the votes he needs to authorize subpoenas but he wants to let his committee thrash out their differences for the record, to build an airtight case. Graham watched his democrat Senate Judiciary Committee members go spastic like spoiled children so he postponed the battle to next week. He’s letting them twist in the wind while they watch the fireworks from what Johnson managed put in motion Thursday.
Over at the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, Wisconsin republican Ron Johnson had better luck than Graham. His committee voted to grant “broad subpoena authority as part of a probe stemming from the Obama administration.” More than 35 people and “a swath of documents” were pre-approved so he doesn’t need to ask for each one separately.
“Evidence is mounting,” Johnson insists. He wants the public to know that the transition from Obama to Trump was not a “peaceful and cooperative” one. “The conduct we know that occurred during the transition should concern everyone and absolutely warrants further investigation.” It’s expected that “former FBI Director James Comey, former national security adviser Susan Rice and former CIA Director John Brennan, among others” will soon be dragged back up on the witness stand.
As a bonus, Johnson can drag in “FBI records relating to Crossfire Hurricane and the State Department for any records related to Christopher Steele.” Those should make interesting reading. Mitt Romney went RINO and managed to “narrow” the scope of Johnson’s investigation to prevent inspectors general or the work products from being subpoenaed. That makes everyone wonder what he’s hiding.
Graham ready to add 50 more
Lindsey Graham has 50 subpoenas he wants to send out but had to postpone the authorization. He told the press “he was delaying the vote to give senators enough time to fully debate the issue.” Everyone kept looking at their watches with a pending floor vote. They were trying to set a schedule but nobody would cooperate.
“Can we get a sense of how long we’re going to be here?” Republican Ben Sasse whined. He went on to note, “it’s bullshit the way people grandstand for cameras in here.” About “90 percent of our committees are about people trolling for soundbites.” The chairman disagreed. “I don’t think they’re trolling for soundbites,” Graham admitted, “I think they’re genuinely upset with what I’m doing.” Earlier, Graham noted the “Steele dossier of opposition research was used to get the surveillance warrant against former Trump campaign aide Carter Page.” Dick Durban snarled, “that is your theory.” Graham wasn’t phased. “these are facts.”
Graham wants his committee’s full attention. “We’re going to do what this committee needs to do, and we’re going to fight it out and we’re going to vote. And we’re not going to be done today, so I don’t see a resolution this day, if you need to go somewhere go.”
Graham assures The Hill he has the votes, it’s not a problem. He “wanted to give members enough time to discuss the investigation first.” He might even get the documents that Johnson agreed to waive. Lindsey Graham is asking for subpoenas “to compel documents and records referenced in Justice Department Inspector General Michael Horowitz’s review of FISA warrant applications and documents or testimony from any current or former executive branch official or employee involved in, the Crossfire Hurricane investigation.”