According to an article from The Hill, Rep. Adam Schiff is considering fining executive branch officials who refuse to comply with a congressional subpoena—precisely what Good Government Now’s Modified Inherent Contempt Proposal recommends.
Here’s what Schiff said:
“One thing we are considering … is whether we need to revive Congress’s inherent contempt power, such that we would have our own adjudication of the Congress and we would levy fines on those who are not cooperating until they produce what they are compelled to produce.”
Good Government Now has long recommended using hefty fines—not jail time—to enforce their powers:
The Mueller Report subpoena required The Department of Justice to submit a privilege log detailing the information withheld, as well as the reasons why it was withheld. It doesn’t appear that Attorney General Barr or the Justice Department complied.
According to Schiff, “We are looking through the history and studying the law to make sure we’re on solid ground. That’s a big step but, look, if we’re going to consider other big steps like impeachment, we have to consider steps like inherent contempt that will allow us to get the information we need.”
