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allgood33

(1,584 posts) Mon Mar 25, 2019, 12:32 PM Mar 2019

Can the House call before it anyone who testified before the Grand Jury?

I thought that a witness before a Grand Jury could talk about what they themselves testified to?

4 replies

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Can the House call before it anyone who testified before the Grand Jury? (Original Post) allgood33 Mar 2019 OP

I think the House can call anybody they want. Having testified to the Grand Jury doesn't mute one. Shrike47 Mar 2019 #1

The committee can subpoena a grand jury witness and ask their own questions. Opel_Justwax Mar 2019 #2

Witnesses to a grand jury are free to say whatever they want lapfog_1 Mar 2019 #3

They can call anyone they want FBaggins Mar 2019 #4

Shrike47

(6,913 posts)

1. I think the House can call anybody they want. Having testified to the Grand Jury doesn't mute one.

Reply to allgood33 (Original post)

Mon Mar 25, 2019, 12:35 PM

Mar 2019

Opel_Justwax

(230 posts)

2. The committee can subpoena a grand jury witness and ask their own questions.

Reply to allgood33 (Original post)

Mon Mar 25, 2019, 12:36 PM

Mar 2019

They just can't demand that a witness tell them what happened in the Grand Jury unless the government has released them to talk about the Grand Jury proceedings.

lapfog_1

(29,226 posts)

3. Witnesses to a grand jury are free to say whatever they want

Reply to Opel_Justwax (Reply #2)

Mon Mar 25, 2019, 12:51 PM

Mar 2019

and anyone they tell is free to repeat it.

If the writers on "The West Wing" did their homework (they usually did).

Season 2 Episode 26 "In This White House" 30:12 into the episode... Ainsley Hayes explaining to CJ Cregg about the rules for federal grand juries.

FBaggins

(26,760 posts)

4. They can call anyone they want

Reply to allgood33 (Original post)

Mon Mar 25, 2019, 12:54 PM

Mar 2019

They might not be able to get a list of who testified to the grand jury... but they can call anyone.

Of course, they have some trouble forcing them to testify if they don't want to. If you run all the way down the chain, they end up deciding to refer the witness for contempt of Congress charges.

Which brings us full circle. Guess who gets to decide whether or not they will prosecute those charges?

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