Schiff says ex-Trump aide Kupperman may be held in contempt over no-show in impeachment probe

U.S. House Intelligence Committee Chairman Rep. Adam Schiff (D-CA) speaks to members of the media outside a closed session before the House Intelligence, Foreign Affairs and Oversight committees at the U.S. Capitol on October 28, 2019 in Washington, DC. Also pictured are (L-R) Rep. Carolyn Maloney (D-NY), Rep. Jamie Raskin (D-MD) and Rep. Eric Swalwell (D-CA).

Mark Wilson | Getty Images

House Intelligence Chairman Adam Schiff, D-Calif., said Monday that former national security adviser John Bolton's deputy Charles Kupperman may be held in contempt after he ignored a subpoena to testify in the impeachment inquiry into President Donald Trump.

“Witnesses like Dr. Kupperman need to do their duty and show up,” Schiff, who has been leading the impeachment probe in the House, told reporters after Kupperman failed to appear for a scheduled deposition.

Schiff said he believes that Kupperman's planned appearance before the House Intelligence, Oversight and Foreign Affairs committees “would corroborate the allegations of misconduct that other witnesses have made.”

The Intelligence chairman also said that the panels will obviously consider, as we inform Dr. Kupperman's counsel, his failure to appear as evidence that may warrant a contempt proceeding against him.”

The White House has vowed not to cooperate with the inquiry, which Trump has regularly decried as a “witch hunt.” Kupperman filed a lawsuit Friday asking a judge to rule whether he must comply with the Trump administration or with the congressional subpoena for his testimony.

Ahead of Schiff's remarks, Republican Jim Jordan told reporters that Kupperman is “more than willing to come” if the court rules that he must comply with the subpoena. “But obviously he's not coming today,” said Jordan, the ranking Republican on the Oversight Committee.

Schiff said that the White House's effort to block Kupperman from talking to the three House panels conducting the inquiry suggest that his testimony would bolster their case.

“I think we can infer from the White House opposition to Dr. Kupperman's testimony that they believe that his testimony would be incriminating of the president,” Schiff said. “It is also, I think, very plain, additional and powerful evidence of obstruction of Congress and its lawful function by the president.”

“If this witness had something to say that would be helpful to the White House, they would want him to come and testify,” Schiff added. “They plainly don't.”

The impeachment inquiry into Trump began in earnest shortly after a CIA whistleblower raised concerns about Trump's July 25 call with Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky, in which the U.S. president asked Ukraine to “look into” unsubstantiated corruption allegations against former Vice President Joe Biden and his son Hunter. Trump also asked Zelensky in that call to “do us a favor though” and look into Ukraine's alleged role in foreign interference in the 2016 presidential election. 

Democrats say that they have already heard “damning” testimony against Trump in the impeachment inquiry. Acting U.S. ambassador to Ukraine Bill Taylor, for instance, testified last week that it was made clear to him that a military aide package to Ukraine was contingent upon that country announcing probes into the Bidens and the 2016 election.

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″'Everything' was dependent on such an announcement, including security assistance,” Taylor said he had heard from U.S. ambassador to the EU Gordon Sondland, who had been deposed earlier in the inquiry. Sondland returned to Capitol Hill on Monday to review his testimony, Jordan said.

This is developing news. Please check back for updates.

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