Mike Pompeo says House committee subpoena is an effort to ‘bully’ the State Department

Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said Tuesday a subpoena issued by the House Foreign Affairs Committee is an attempt to “bully” and “intimidate” the State Department, suggesting he may not comply with it.

“I have been made aware that committee staff has been sending intimidating communications to career department professionals who have specifically asked for committee communications to be channeled through the Bureau of Legislative Affairs,” Mr. Pompeo wrote in a letter to Committee Chairman Eliot L. Engel, New York Democrat.

“Let me be clear: I will not tolerate such tactics and I will use all means at my disposal to prevent and expose any attempts to intimidate the dedicated professionals whom I am proud to lead and serve alongside the Department of State,” the letter continues.

 

 

In the call, Mr. Trump suggested that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky investigate former Vice President Joseph R. Biden, the Democratic presidential front-runner, and his son Hunter. Mr. Trump encouraged the Ukrainian president to cooperate with his personal attorney Rudolph W. Giuliani and Attorney General William P. Barr on the probe.

Democrats’ scrutiny of Mr. Pompeo has intensified after Monday’s bombshell revelation that he was on the call that has ignited an impeachment inquiry in Washington.

The Foreign Affairs Committee subpoena was issued in conjunction with the House Intelligence and Oversight and Reform committees.

Four State Department officials and one former official have been scheduled for depositions this week before the House committees.

But Mr. Pompeo suggests in his letter that the four officials still employed by the department will not testify.

“The committee has not issued any subpoenas for depositions and we are not aware of any authority by which the committee could compel appearance at a deposition,” he wrote.

In the letter, Mr. Pompeo also blasts the committees saying the subpoena provides a “woefully inadequate” opportunity for the requested witnesses to prepare for the deposition. The committees issued the subpoenas last Friday.

While the chairmen have warned that not appearing at the depositions would be “evidence of obstruction,” Mr. Pompeo fired back that the threat was “unfounded.”

“There is no legal basis for such a threat. … I urge you to exercise restraint in making such unfounded statements in the future,” the secretary of state said.

Rep. Jim Jordan, a member of the Oversight and Reform Committee and an ardent defender of Mr. Trump, said in a statement that he’s also concerned about Democrats’ actions.

“We have serious concerns about Democrats’ abusive targeting of our career foreign service professionals, which would put our nation’s diplomatic interests at risk,” the Ohio Republican said. “The Democrats are choosing confrontation over cooperating and exploiting their power solely to attack this president and undo the results of the 2016 election.”