Democrats cut deal to hear from White House counsel office insider, source says

By Pamela Brown and Manu Raju, CNN

Updated 2:58 PM ET, Sat June 22, 2019

(CNN)The House Judiciary Committee appears to have reached a deal with former White House aide Annie Donaldson that would allow her to not appear before the committee by a Monday deadline and answer written questions instead, according to sources familiar with the matter.

The testimony of Donaldson, who was chief of staff for then-White House counsel Don McGahn, has been of high interest to House Democrats given her first-hand knowledge of key events. Donaldson said she took copious notes, which the committee believes will bolster its probe into potential obstruction of justice.

The committee issued a subpoena in May for her testimony by Monday. But Donaldson's attorney and Democrats have discussed allowing her to answer written questions instead, in part because she is pregnant and lives in Alabama.

Under the terms outlined, Donaldson would be required to answer questions within a week and the committee would reserve the right to bring her in for testimony after November 1, according to one of the sources. She has yet to receive the written questions from the committee but will consult with the White House on which questions she can answer, the source said.

A committee source told CNN Saturday that since it's difficult for Donaldson to travel, Democrats are looking to make an accommodation for her.

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https://www.cnn.com/2019/06/22/politics/house-judiciary-annie-donaldson-deal-written-questions/index.html