Update: President Donald Trump's former campaign chairman will not be testifying Wednesday before the Senate Judiciary Committee, as originally scheduled, after the committee rescinded its subpoena. The committee withdrew its subpoena for Paul Manafort late Tuesday after Manafort agreed to turn over documents and to continue negotiating about setting up an interview with the panel, according to Taylor Foy, a spokesman for Sen. Chuck Grassley, the Judiciary Committee chairman. The committee also removed Donald Trump Jr. from the list of witnesses scheduled for Wednesday's public hearing.
This story was originally published on July 25, 2017.
The Senate Judiciary Committee has issued a subpoena to former Trump campaign manager Paul Manafort seeking his testimony at a public hearing on Wednesday. Republican Sen. Chuck Grassley and Democratic Sen. Dianne Feinstein made the announcement on Tuesday morning. The two senators said they were unable to reach an agreement with Manafort for a voluntary transcribed interview with the committee.
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"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," the senators said in a joint statement on Tuesday. "While the Judiciary Committee was willing to cooperate on equal terms with any other committee to accommodate Mr. Manafort’s request, ultimately that was not possible."
The two said they issued a subpoena to compel Manafort's participation in Wednesday's hearing late Monday night. However, if the former Trump campaign chairman decides to provide a transcribed interview, he might be excused from testifying.
"As with other witnesses, we may be willing to excuse him from Wednesday's hearing if he would be willing to agree to production of documents and a transcribed interview, with the understanding that the interview would not constitute a waiver of his rights or prejudice the committee's right to compel his testimony in the future," Grassley and Feinstein said in their statement.
The committee wants Manafort to testify on enforcement of the Foreign Agents Registration Act and Russia's attempts to influence U.S. elections.
The president's son, Donald Trump Jr., and his son-in-law, Jared Kushner, were also asked to testify before Congress this week. Kushner gave his testimony in a closed-door meeting with the Senate Intelligence Committee on Monday and the House Intelligence Committee on Tuesday. Trump Jr. is expected to testify on Wednesday before the Senate Judiciary Committee, just like Manafort.
The testimonies mark the first time people in President Trump's inner circle have been interviewed as part of the investigation into Russia's interference in the 2016 presidential election.
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