Top Democrats on the House Oversight Committee want to subpoena a leading Chicago bank over charges that former Trump campaign chairman Paul Manafort promised its CEO a White House job in exchange for millions in home loans.
The committee’s top Democrats, Rep. Elijah Cummings, Maryland, and Rep. Stephen F. Lynch, Massachusetts, on Tuesday called on the committee’s Republican chairman, Rep. Trey Gowdy of South Carolina, to subpoena the Federal Savings Bank for documents related to the matter.
Special counsel Robert Mueller is reportedly investigating whether Mr. Manafort promised banker Stephen Calk, who heads The Federal Savings Bank, that he would be named secretary of the Army in exchange for $16 millions in loans.
“We are writing to respectfully request that you issue a subpoena to compel The Federal Savings Bank to produce documents it has been withholding from Congress relating to extremely troubling reports that [Mr. Calk] may have made loans of up to $16 million to President Donald Trump’s campaign chairman, Paul Manafort, in exchange for promises to name him Secretary of the Army,” Mr. Cummings and Mr. Lynch wrote in a letter dated May 1.
Early last month, according to the lawmakers, the Department of Defense informed them that eight days after President Trump’s election victory, the Army chief of staff “had the opportunity to engage Mr. Calk on November 16, 2016, when he provided remarks at a Business Executives for National Security luncheon in Chicago.”
“Army administrative personnel recall receiving a telephone call from Mr. Calk sometime in November of 2016 regarding the confirmation process in general,” the letter said.
“The information DOD provided appears to have confirmed at least part of the underlying allegation, which is that Mr. Calk was actively inquiring with the Pentagon within days of the presidential election about a high-level position that would have required the advice and consent of the Senate,” Mr. Cummings and Mr. Lynch wrote.
Because the Pentagon’s letter did not detail why Mr. Calk was inquiring about the confirmation process, the lawmakers say they sent a letter directly to The Federal Savings Bank requesting documents and information about whether his actions were related to a quid pro quo with Mr. Manafort.
On April 26, the bank responded to the lawmakers with a one-page letter arguing that the “news media speculation is false.”
In the Mueller Russian-meddling probe, Mr. Manafort has already pleaded not guilty to conspiracy, money laundering and tax and bank fraud charges related to his lobbying work for a Russian-friendly political party in Ukraine and former Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych.
• Dan Boylan can be reached at dboylan@washingtontimes.com.
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