Florida Rep. Tom Rooney, a senior Republican on the House Intelligence Committee, said Tuesday that Steve Bannon’s testimony is running into problems over whether he can invoke executive privilege for events that occurred during the transition.
A source familiar with the matter said Bannon was issued subpoena by House committee after refusing to disclose information from the time period of the transition and White House, as first reported by Fox News.
Rooney would not comment on whether the committee had issued a subpoena to Bannon during its closed-door interview, but he told reporters that the issue “dominating the day” was over executive privilege and the presidential transition.
“I certainly think that the committee respects executive privilege, it’s when does that attach is the question that’s sort of dominating the day,” Rooney said. “At what time does that attach — during the transition or during the actual swearing-in?”
“If you are part of the White House in any way and you’re talking about things that were during the campaign but it happens to be in the White House, then what’s the answer? That’s the quandary,” Rooney said.
White House press secretary Sarah Sanders said Tuesday that the White House was not concerned with what Bannon might say to Congress or special counsel Robert Mueller’s team. But she did not say whether the White House directed Bannon not to answer certain questions.
“As with all congressional inquiries touching upon the White House, Congress must consult with the White House prior to obtaining confidential material,” Sanders said. “This is part of a judicially recognized process that goes back decades. We’ve been cooperating fully with these ongoing investigations and encourage the committees to work with us to find an appropriate accommodation in order to ensure Congress obtains information necessary to its legitimate interests.”
Rep. Mike Conaway, the Texas Republican leading the House Intelligence Committee Russia investigation, declined to comment on a subpoena or Bannon’s testimony as he went back into the committee’s secure spaces.