Dozens of President Trump’s past and present advisers and associates have stonewalled the Senate Judiciary Committee’s requests for either documents or interviews, its ranking Democrat said Wednesday.
White House adviser Jared Kushner and Michael Cohen, the president’s personal attorney, are among a list of 39 different individuals and entities included on a document released by Sen. Dianne Feinstein, California Democrat, concerning the Judiciary Committee’s ongoing efforts to investigate matters related to Russia’s efforts to influence the 2016 U.S. presidential race.
Titled “Pending Requests,” the nine-page memo was released along with more than 2,500 pages of documents related to the committee’s investigation into a June 9, 2016 meeting at Trump Tower involving a Kremlin-linked attorney and individuals associated with the president’s campaign, including Mr. Kushner, the president’s son-in-law, and Donald Trump Jr., the president’s son and a senior member of his 2016 campaign.
Among the 39 entries on the list are 24 individuals directly connected to either the president, his business dealings or the 2016 Trump campaign, including his personal attorney, relatives and multiple past and present members of the Trump administration.
“Senate Judiciary Democrats have sought to conduct a robust and independent investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 election, there are more questions than answers given the lack of cooperation by many of the individuals involved,” the committee’s ten Democrats said in a statement. “The investigation has yet to be completed and dozens of witnesses’ testimony, as well as critical documents, have yet to be obtained.”
Mr. Kushner “has not appeared for a hearing or an interview,” the document said and has refused to produce requested documents, including his security clearance forms.
Mr. Trump Jr. “has also refused to produce drafts of his July 2017 public statements concerning the June 9 meeting and related communications with third parties,” the document said. “The Committee has not scheduled a hearing with him despite an agreement to do so once his interview was complete.”
Mr. Cohen has produced some documents but has refused to appear for an interview, according to the document.
The White House, which has refused to provide requested documents, according to the committee, did not immediately return an email seeking comment.
Other individuals accused of stonewalling the Senate committee include Brad Parscale, the digital media director of the 2016 Trump campaign; White House social media director Dan Scavino; former deputy national security adviser K.T. McFarland; former presidential chief strategist Stephen Bannon; former campaign manager Corey Lewandowski; former communications director Hope Hicks; senior policy adviser Stephen Miller; former chief of staff Reince Priebus; former spokesman Sean Spicer; former bodyguard Keith Schiller; longtime assistant Rhona Graff; former Trump legal team spokesman Mark Corallo; Trump campaign chief policy adviser Sam Clovis; Trump campaign foreign policy team member Walid Phares; former National Security Council member Lt. Gen. Keith Kellogg; former campaign adviser Frank Mermoud; former Trump business partner Sergei Millian; Trump Organization vice president for marketing Amanda Miller; White House counsel Donald F. McGahn; Trump campaign communications adviser Michael Caputo; and Trump campaign adviser Philip Griffin.
The Russian government attempted to interfere in the 2016 U.S. presidential race, according to U.S. officials, and members of the Senate Judiciary Committee are investigating related allegations in tandem with ongoing probes being conducted by the Senate Intelligence Committee and the Department of Justice’s special counsel, Robert Mueller.
Russia has denied meddling in the 2016 race, and the White House has denied any improper ties between the Trump campaign and Russia.
• Andrew Blake can be reached at ablake@washingtontimes.com.
Please read our comment policy before commenting.