Senate judiciary committee leaders have reached a deal to issue a subpoena to former Trump campaign chairman Paul Manafort compelling him to appear in a public session, the committee’s top Democrat told CNN Wednesday.
Sen. Dianne Feinstein of California said she and Senate Judiciary chairman, Iowa Sen. Chuck Grassley have reached a deal on a several key items as part of their investigation, which is examining both Russian efforts to interfere in the election and possible interference with the FBI in both the Trump and Obama administrations. And one of the key items the committee has agreed on: sending Manafort a subpoena, according to Feinstein.
“We’ve agreed on a subpoena for Manafort,” Feinstein told CNN Wednesday.
A Feinstein spokesman added that there is an agreement “in principle” to issue a subpoena compelling Manafort to appear at a hearing, adding that the details were still being finalized. Grassley confirmed Wednesday that he and Feinstein have reached a deal on several aspects of their investigation, but also said the final details were being ironed out. Grassley and his spokesman declined to specify the areas of agreement, with the aide saying there have been “several general agreements in principle this week.”
A Manafort spokesman declined to comment. Manafort has previously denied financial wrongdoing regarding his Ukraine-related payments, his bank accounts in offshore tax shelters and his various real estate transactions.
Manafort has been on the committee’s radar since this past summer, when Grassley and Feinstein invited him to appear at a public hearing about the Foreign Agents Registration Act. Manafort, who is facing scrutiny from special counsel Robert Mueller, belatedly registered under the FARA law for his work with Ukranian political interests.
In July, both Manafort and President Donald Trump’s eldest son, Donald Trump Jr., cut a deal to avoid appearing at that public hearing, agreeing instead to turn over documents to the committee and appear for a closed-door, transcribed interview with committee staff.
But since then, Grassley has grown frustrated with Manafort, saying that the former campaign chairman’s attorneys have not been cooperative with the committee’s requests.
The committee also is considering bringing in Trump Jr. to a public hearing as well — after he met with Senate committee staff in private earlier this month. Grassley has previously suggested he wanted to hear from Manafort first before considering bringing in the President’s son to testify publicly — in large part about the June 2016 meeting in Trump Tower with Russians who had promised dirt on the Clinton campaign to the President’s son. Manafort and the President’s son-in-law Jared Kushner were also at that meeting.
Asked if he and Feinstein have reached a deal to bring in Trump Jr. before the committee in a public session, Grassley said Wednesday: “I don’t know whether it’s reached that point or not yet.”