Nadler ‘encouraged’ by response to Trump documents request

The head of the House Judiciary Committee says he is “encouraged” by the response he’s received on the deadline of his panel’s sprawling Trump documents request, part of its oversight investigation into President Trump’s administration, campaign and businesses.

“I am encouraged by the responses we have received since sending these initial letters two weeks ago,” Chairman Jerrold Nadler (D-N.Y.) said in a statement Monday, the deadline for the requested documents to be turned over.

{mosads}According to the panel’s press release, many of the 81 people and entities named in the documents request have told the panel they plan to cooperate, while others have already turned over tens of thousands of documents as part of the request. 

“At this point, the Committee has heard from a large number of the recipients, many of whom have either sent or agreed to send documents to the Committee,” the press release said.

Nadler said there are others who have asked for the panel to issue a friendly subpoena so they have cover to cooperate with the committee.

“It is my hope that we will receive cooperation from the remainder of the list, and will be working to find an appropriate accommodation with any individual who may be reluctant to cooperate with our investigation,” the statement said.

Nadler also noted last week that a “handful” of people have indicated will “fight” the request.

He suggested that who they are and what information they may know will help determine whether they would be hit with a subpoena in response.

Republican aides told The Hill on Tuesday that they are aware of at least eight of the 81 individuals and entities who have turned over records to the panel.

The GOP aides say these eight individuals and entities have turned over 8,195 pages to the panel. Those eight include former Trump campaign aides George Papadopoulos, Stephen Bannon, J.D. Gordon and Sam Nunberg.

Other documents could still be being processed before they are provided to Republicans. 

Papadopoulos, who pleaded guilty last year to lying to FBI agents, turned over 47 pages of materials, the GOP aides say.

Bannon, who formerly served as both White House chief strategist and executive chairman of Breitbart News, provided the panel with 2,688 pages, while Gordon and Nunberg gave 51 pages and 23 pages, respectively.

The National Rifle Association (NRA) gave the committee 1,466 pages, according to the aides, while Russian national Rinat Akhmetshin, a Soviet-army-officer-turned-lobbyist, provided the panel with 467 pages.

They also said that Tom Barrack, who served as the chairman of Trump’s inaugural committee, provided the panel with 3,349 pages, while the now defunct 58th Inaugural Committee provided 104 pages.

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, businesses and administration.

The probe, Nadler said at the time, is focusing on obstruction of justice, public corruption and abuses of power.

The scope of Nadler’s documents request is expansive, and the White House and Republicans in Congress have vilified Nadler and Democrats for their investigations, arguing they are all about politics.

The committee has 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.

Updated: Tuesday at 4:45 p.m.