House Judiciary chairman Rep. Jerrold Nadler on Wednesday subpoenaed the Department of Homeland Security for documents related to allegations that President Donald Trump promised pardons to federal officials for any potential violations of federal law in closing the border to migrants, or for fast-tracking his long-promised border wall.
The New York Democrat gave acting DHS Secretary Kevin McAleenan until Sept. 17 to hand over documents related to two meetings in March and April between Trump and DHS officials where the topic reportedly came up.
"The dangling of pardons by the President to encourage government officials to violate federal law would constitute another reported example of the President's disregard for the rule of law," Nadler said in a statement.
Nadler added the subpoena is part of Democrats' efforts to determine whether to introduce articles of impeachment against Trump.
"Such a troubling pattern of obstruction of justice would represent a continuation of the misconduct identified in the Mueller Report," his statement said. "In the coming months the Committee intends to hold hearings and conduct additional oversight related to the issue of pardons as we move forward with our investigation into obstruction of justice, public corruption, and abuses of power by the President."
The Washington Post last month reported Trump had offered pardons to officials should they break the law to build the border barrier. A White House official said Trump was just joking.
An emailed request for comment from DHS was not immediately returned Wednesday evening.
