Excerpts:
WASHINGTON — The chairman of the House Oversight and Reform Committee revealed information on Thursday that he said showed Ivanka Trump and Jared Kushner used private messaging services for official White House business in a way that may have violated federal records laws.
The chairman, Representative Elijah E. Cummings of Maryland, said that a lawyer for Ms. Trump, President Trump’s daughter, and Mr. Kushner, the president’s son-in-law and senior adviser, told the committee late last year that in addition to a private email account, Mr. Kushner uses an unofficial encrypted messaging service, WhatsApp, for official White House business, including with foreign contacts.
In a letter on Thursday disclosing the new information, Mr. Cummings said the findings added urgency to his investigation of possible violations of the Presidential Records Act by members of the Trump administration, including Mr. Kushner and Ms. Trump. He accused the White House of stonewalling his committee on information that it had requested months ago, when Republicans still controlled the House.
“The White House’s failure to provide documents and information is obstructing the committee’s investigation into allegations of violations of federal records laws by White House officials,” Mr. Cummings wrote. He said he would “be forced to consider alternative means to obtain compliance” if documents he requested about White House communications and record keeping were not shared with the committee, an indication he could subpoena them.
Steven Groves, a White House lawyer, said the White House would review Mr. Cummings’s letter and “provide a reasonable response in due course.”
Mr. Lowell, in a letter of his own, accused Mr. Cummings of misrepresenting parts of what he told lawmakers last year and disputed suggestions that either of his clients had broken the law.
Full story:
https://www.nytimes.com/2019/03/21/us/politics/jared-kushner-whatsapp.html
Lock 'em up.
WASHINGTON — The chairman of the House Oversight and Reform Committee revealed information on Thursday that he said showed Ivanka Trump and Jared Kushner used private messaging services for official White House business in a way that may have violated federal records laws.
The chairman, Representative Elijah E. Cummings of Maryland, said that a lawyer for Ms. Trump, President Trump’s daughter, and Mr. Kushner, the president’s son-in-law and senior adviser, told the committee late last year that in addition to a private email account, Mr. Kushner uses an unofficial encrypted messaging service, WhatsApp, for official White House business, including with foreign contacts.
In a letter on Thursday disclosing the new information, Mr. Cummings said the findings added urgency to his investigation of possible violations of the Presidential Records Act by members of the Trump administration, including Mr. Kushner and Ms. Trump. He accused the White House of stonewalling his committee on information that it had requested months ago, when Republicans still controlled the House.
“The White House’s failure to provide documents and information is obstructing the committee’s investigation into allegations of violations of federal records laws by White House officials,” Mr. Cummings wrote. He said he would “be forced to consider alternative means to obtain compliance” if documents he requested about White House communications and record keeping were not shared with the committee, an indication he could subpoena them.
Steven Groves, a White House lawyer, said the White House would review Mr. Cummings’s letter and “provide a reasonable response in due course.”
Mr. Lowell, in a letter of his own, accused Mr. Cummings of misrepresenting parts of what he told lawmakers last year and disputed suggestions that either of his clients had broken the law.
Full story:
https://www.nytimes.com/2019/03/21/us/politics/jared-kushner-whatsapp.html
Lock 'em up.