Originally published at: DEVELOPING: White House Asserts Executive Privilege Over Subpoenaed Census ‘Citizenship’ Docs | Sean Hannity
President Trump asserted his executive privilege Wednesday; effectively blocking the release of documents regarding the upcoming census and the inclusion of a new “citizenship question.”
“President Trump has asserted executive privilege over congressionally subpoenaed documents on the addition of a citizenship question to the 2020 census, the Department of Justice announced Wednesday,” reports The Hill.
“The announcement comes the House Oversight and Reform Committee is set to vote on whether to hold Attorney General William Barr and Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross in contempt for failing to comply with congressional subpoenas for the documents,” adds the article.
JUST IN: President Trump asserts executive privilege over subpoenaed census docs https://t.co/jC9AIwSm34 pic.twitter.com/hEvKb3Oqlm
— The Hill (@thehill) June 12, 2019
“By proceeding with today’s vote, you have abandoned the accommodation process with respect to your requests and subpoenas for documents concerning the secretary’s decision to include a citizenship question on the 2020 census,” Assistant Attorney General Stephen Boyd said in a written statement.
“The executive branch has engaged in good-faith efforts to satisfy the legislative needs of the committee. Moreover, until the committee’s abrupt decision to seeks a contempt resolution, the department was prepared to provide a significant number of additional documents responsive to the committee’s April 2, 2019 subpoena.”
“Unfortunately, rather than allowing the department to complete its document production, you have chosen to go forward with an unnecessary and premature contempt vote,” concludes the statement.
Controversial Congresswoman Ilhan Omar escalated her all-out war with the White House last Thursday; bizarrely claiming the Trump administration was “weaponizing the census” to benefit “Republican and Non-Hispanic Whites.”
“It’s now explicit: Trump is weaponizing the Census to benefit ‘Republicans and Non-Hispanic Whites.’ This is an attack on democracy and in any other Administration, it would be a multi-year scandal,” posted Omar on social media.
It's now explicit: Trump is weaponizing the Census to benefit "Republicans and Non-Hispanic Whites."
This is an attack on democracy and in any other Administration, it would be a multi-year scandal. https://t.co/EuyWT5P9VZ
— Rep. Ilhan Omar (@Ilhan) May 30, 2019
This is a developing story. Check back for updates.
