Dispatch November 7, 2018

10 Things the New House Majority Can Do For the Russia Investigation


For almost two years, President Donald Trump’s congressional accomplices have done everything they could to impede the vital investigation into Russia’s ongoing attack on American democracy. Now, with the House of Representatives changing hands, they will no longer be able to run interference for the president. Here are 10 big steps the new majority can take with their newfound subpoena power:

  1. Bring back witnesses who appear to have lied or omitted key information in their initial testimonies, including Donald Trump Jr., Jared Kushner, Attorney General Jeff Sessions, Roger Stone, and Erik Prince.
  2. Call key witnesses who haven’t yet testified before Congress or gave incomplete testimony, such as Paul Manafort, Michael Flynn, George Papadopoulos, and Maria Butina.
  3. Find out who was behind the blocked number Trump Jr. called while he was planning the June 9, 2016 meeting in Trump Tower.
  4. Have the Trump Organization turn over its documents related to the failed attempt to develop Trump Tower Moscow during the campaign.
  5. Determine whether National Security Adviser Michael Flynn resigned because he lied to Vice President Mike Pence about his contacts with Russia—or whether his “underlying conduct” in his phone calls with the Russian ambassador created an untenable situation.
  6. Request intelligence intercepts between Erik Prince and other attendees of the January 2017 meeting in the Seychelles, as well as all communications between Prince and members of Trump’s transition team.
  7. Obtain financial records from organizations that may have received support from Russia as part of its engagement in the 2016 election, such as the National Rifle Association, to determine how much financial support they received and may continue to receive.
  8. Investigate the apparent conflicts of interests Kushner’s real-estate holdings create—including whether he and the head of Russia’s state-run development bank discussed a bailout for his struggling business.
  9. Demand all information and documents related to Trump’s closed-door meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Helsinki, including all instructions given to senior staff following the meeting.
  10. And, perhaps the biggest step of them all: Subpoena President Donald Trump’s tax returns.