House Democrats have subpoenaed U.S. Secretary of Energy Rick Perry to turn over documents by the end of next week as part of their impeachment inquiry into President Donald Trump.
“Recently, public reports have raised questions about any role you may have played in conveying or reinforcing the Presidents stark message to the Ukrainian President,” wrote Reps. Adam Schiff (D-Calif.), Rep. Eliot Engel (D-Calif.), and Rep. Elijah Cummings (D-Calif.) in a statement on Thursday afternoon. “These reports have also raised significant questions about your efforts to press Ukrainian officials to change the management structure at a Ukrainian state-owned energy company to benefit individuals involved with Rudy Giulianis push to get Ukrainian officials to interfere in our 2020 election.”
According to The Hill, Perry has to turn over the documents by Oct. 18.
Perry is the latest Trump administration official to receive a subpoena regarding the inquiry. House Democrats have alleged that Trump “pressured” Ukraines president to investigate Joe Biden and his son, Hunter Biden. Trump has dismissed the allegations while the White House released a transcript of the call debunking a number of claims the reports made based on a complaint from an anonymous whistleblower.
Perry, the former governor of Texas, led a U.S. delegation to Ukraine for Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskys inauguration in place of Vice President Mike Pence, according to reports.
The White House, however, issued a letter to Pelosi and the three Democratic committee leaders saying it wouldnt cooperate in the inquiry and subpoenas.
“You have designed and implemented your inquiry in a manner that violates fundamental fairness and constitutionally mandated due process,” Pat Cipollone, White House counsel, said in the document addressed to the four lawmakers.
