Democrats plot to call Chris Christie, Paul Manafort and Corey Lewandowski as witnesses

Democrats are plotting a new strategy to get witnesses before Congress in their investigation of President Donald Trump – they plan to call Trump associates who have never worked in the White House.

Their move is designed to circumvent the president’s claim of executive privilege, which offers a shield to current and former White House staffers, who can use that claim to decline to answer lawmakers’ questions. 

The new witness could include former Trump campaign manager Corey Lewandowski, former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, former Trump campaign Paul Manafort and his former deputy Rick Gates, according to Politico.

Democrats want to call witnesses close to President Trump who did not work in the White House – including people like former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie

Paul Manafort

Corey Lewandowski

Democrats are also looking at calling former Trump campaign managers Paul Manafort (left) and Corey Lewandowski (right)

All four played prominent roles in both the 2016 Trump campaign and appeared in special counsel Robert Mueller’s report. 

Manafort is serving jail time for tax and bank fraud related to his work for Ukrainian officials while Gates made a plea deal with Mueller to avoid prosecution.

Lewandowski and Christie are in frequent contact with Trump and were peripherally cited in Mueller’s report. 

According to Mueller’s report, Trump gave Lewandowski a message to pass on to then-Attorney General Jeff Sessions about the Russia investigation, which Lewandowski did not feel comfortable doing so he passed it off to White House aide Rick Dearborn. 

Christie, according to Mueller’s report, declined the president’s request to make a ‘friendly’ call to then-FBI director James Comey about the Russia probe.  

‘These people could be called without any reasonable shred of a claim of executive privilege,’ said Democratic Rep. Jamie Raskin (D-Md.) told Politico. He’s a member of the House Judiciary Committee, which is leading the obstruction probe against the president.

But the White House is looking to pre-empt the Democrats’ move.

Trump’s lawyers are arguing executive privilege covers individuals outside of the executive branch who advise the president.  

‘The Executive Branch’s confidentiality interests are not limited solely to communications directly involving the President and other Executive Branch officials,’ Michael Purpura, a deputy White House counsel, wrote to the House Oversight Committee last month, Politico noted. ‘Rather, a President and his senior advisers must frequently consult with individuals outside of the Executive Branch, and those communications are also subject to protection.’ 

Four other Democratic-led committees in the House are probing Trump’s taxes, his businesses and other matters related to his administration, such as security clearances issued to top staffers, including Jared Kushner and Ivanka Trump.

Michael Flynn

Rick Gates

The House Intelligence Committee has already subpoenaed former National Security Adviser Michael Flynn (left) and Rick Gates (right)

Former White House communications director Hope Hick testifies before Congress on Wednesday

Former White House communications director Hope Hick testifies before Congress on Wednesday

Democrats have struggled to have a high-profile hearing on matters related to the Trump administration.

Last week the House Intelligence Committee subpoenaed Gates and former National Security Adviser Michael Flynn, who is also cooperating with prosecutors. 

‘Both Michael Flynn and Rick Gates were critical witnesses for Special Counsel Mueller’s investigation, but so far have refused to cooperate fully with Congress,’ Chairman Adam Schiff said in a statement. ‘That’s simply unacceptable.’

Democrats have gotten more aggressive when going after witnesses after the House voted to give chairmen the authority to go to court to enforce congressional subpoenas against those who refuse to comply. 

Mueller still has not agreed to testify before the House Judiciary Committee, which is seeking to hear from him.

The five House chairman investigating Trump: Intelligence Committee Chairman Adam Schiff, Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Eliot Engel, Judiciary Committee Chairman Jerry Nadler, Oversight and Reform Committee Chairman Elijah Cummings, and Financial Services Committee Chairwoman Maxine Waters

The five House chairman investigating Trump: Intelligence Committee Chairman Adam Schiff, Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Eliot Engel, Judiciary Committee Chairman Jerry Nadler, Oversight and Reform Committee Chairman Elijah Cummings, and Financial Services Committee Chairwoman Maxine Waters

Democrats are trying to get around President Trump's claim of executive privilege

Democrats are trying to get around President Trump’s claim of executive privilege

Attorney General William Barr cancelled a scheduled appearance before that same committee.

Democratic hopes may be lifted next week when former White House Communications director Hope Hicks testifies before the Judiciary panel. 

But that testimony will be behind closed doors – denying Democrats a photo op – although a full transcript of her remarks will be released to the public.

Hicks, however, is also expected to adhere to Trump’s claim of executive privilege, meaning she is unlikely to give many details about her work in the White House. 

Read more at DailyMail.co.uk