Thu Sep 19, 2019, 10:47 AM

Question: Anyone know if a House attorney can pursue a contempt of Congress citation?

Is that something that does not require the DOJ to prosecute as a criminal matter?

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1 replies	Author	Time	Post
Question: Anyone know if a House attorney can pursue a contempt of Congress citation? (Original post)	Thomas Hurt	Sep 2019	OP
They can't	FBaggins	Sep 2019	#1

Response to Thomas Hurt (Original post)

Thu Sep 19, 2019, 10:53 AM

FBaggins (25,481 posts)

1. They can't

There are three types that are theoretically possible... but all require a vote of the full House.

Currently, the House voted to delegate the power (to a couple committees) to ask a court for a civil contempt ruling without coming back to the full House... but that's the extent. An attorney can only do it at their direction.

The other alternatives are to make a referral to the DOJ on criminal contempt... and the much-discussed "inherent contempt" option.

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