WASHINGTON — The House Judiciary Committee plans to subpoena former White House aide Rob Porter in the coming days, according to a House Democratic official familiar with the plan — the panel’s latest attempt to try to move public opinion in favor of impeaching President Donald Trump.
The committee’s expected summons to Porter — which the person cautioned was still tentative and not yet official — comes as it plans to continue laying out a case that Trump obstructed justice. The Judiciary Committee, which has impeachment jurisdiction, is considering whether to draft articles of impeachment against the president in the fall as 132 House Democrats have called for starting proceedings to oust the president.
The official spoke on the condition of anonymity to freely describe internal plans.
Public sentiment, however, has not changed on questions of ousting Trump: Polls continue to show that a majority of voters do not want the House to impeach the president.
Judiciary panel members and staff argue that they have already begun impeachment proceedings, though no official vote has occurred on the matter. Democratic leaders under House Speaker Nancy Pelosi continue to oppose impeaching Trump.
Politico first reported the news of the Porter subpoena.
Porter, the former White House staff secretary who left amid allegations of domestic violence in previous relationships, was a central witness in former special counsel Robert Mueller’s investigation. He saw Trump lash out at former White House counsel Donald McGahn for not firing Mueller, according to the special counsel report. Trump also asked Porter to try to get a particular Justice Department official he seemed to prefer to oversee the Mueller probe after then-Attorney General Jeff Sessions recused himself.
Porter has denied the accusations of domestic abuse.