House panel votes to authorize subpoena for Kellyanne Conway
WASHINGTON – After White House Counselor Kellyanne Conway declined an invitation to testify before the House Oversight and Reform Committee about her possible violations of the Hatch Act, the committee voted Wednesday to authorize a subpoena that would compel her to appear.
The resolution passed 25-16.
All Democrats voted yes. All Republicans, except Rep. Justin Amash (Mich.), voted no.
The Hatch Act prohibits executive branch employees, with the exception of the President, Vice President and a few others, of engaging in certain political activities while acting in their official capacity. The law was enacted in 1939. It is officially titled: “An Act to Prevent Pernicious Political Activities.”
On June 13, the Office of Special Counsel wrote President Donald Trump to inform him that Conway has “repeatedly violated the Hatch Act during her official media appearances by making statements” that disparaged Democratic presidential candidates and appear to have been aimed at benefiting the Trump re-election campaign. A report was submitted along with the letter. It explained the independent counsel’s findings and recommended that Conway immediately be fired.
The same day Chairman Elijah Cummings (D-Md.) invited Conway to appear before the committee at a hearing on June 26.
On Monday, White House Counsel Pat Cipollone wrote Cummings to inform the committee that Conway would not appear and that the White House had claimed absolute immunity to allow her to refuse testimony.
The White House has denied that Conway violated the Hatch Act and has also questioned whether the law applies to her position.
Trump has said he has no intention of firing Conway.
Once a subpoena is authorized the chair may issue it at his or her discretion.
Bryan is an award-winning political journalist who has extensive experience covering Congress and Maryland state government.
His work includes coverage of the election of Donald Trump, the confirmation hearings of Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh and attorneys general William Barr and Jeff Sessions-as well as that of the Maryland General Assembly, Gov. Larry Hogan, and the COVID-19 pandemic.
Bryan has broken stories involving athletic and sexual assault scandals with the Baltimore Post-Examiner.
His original UMBC investigation gained international attention, was featured in People Magazine and he was interviewed by ABC’s “Good Morning America” and local radio stations. Bryan broke subsequent stories documenting UMBC’s omission of a sexual assault on their daily crime log and a federal investigation related to the university’s handling of an alleged sexual assault.