Nadler: Half of Trump probe targets likely to comply with document requests

House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jerrold Nadler (D-N.Y.) says he expects close to half of the 81 people and entities included in his panel’s documents requests to comply by the Monday deadline.

But he also said a few witnesses are fighting the requests.

{mosads}”We’ve had close to half, I’m told, have indicated that they will comply with the request without a subpoena,” Nadler told The Hill. “And then we’ve had a few people who have said give us a subpoena and we will comply — meaning give me an excuse, give me a friendly subpoena.”

“We’ve got a couple of people who say we are going to fight it,” he continued, noting that it is only “a handful.”

Asked if he plans to go to court if some refuse to cooperate, Nadler described that decision as situational.

“We will see. It defends on how important they are and what else we have,” Nadler told The Hill.

The chairman, however, signaled that he will not aggressively issue subpoenas in order to obtain such information. 

“We are not in the business … of issuing subpoenas. The purpose is to get information to analyze it,” Nadler separately told reporters.

The Trump administration and Republicans in Congress have vilified Nadler and Democrats for their investigations, arguing it is all about politics.

Earlier this month, Nadler announced his panel had issued document requests to 81 individuals and entities as part of a sweeping investigation into Trump’s campaign, business and administration.

Nadler said the probe would focus on obstruction of justice, public corruption and abuses of power.

The scope of the document request sent to the White House is expansive. The committee asked for materials related to several key events and areas of interest, including the June 2016 Trump Tower meeting between members of the Trump campaign and a Russian lawyer, the firing of former FBI Director James Comey and payments or discussions about payments in connection with women who alleged having affairs with Trump.

The president’s sons Donald Trump Jr. and Eric Trump as well as his son-in-law Jared Kushner are named in document requests. So are the Trump campaign, the Trump Foundation and the Trump Organization.

Nadler told reporters he wasn’t sure who his panel would interview first.

“No, I can’t say who the first witness [is] going to be. When — toward the end of April maybe, but we have to analyze all the information and see where we are at,” he said.