Congressman Cohen Offers Amendment to Obtain DOJ Documents on Foreign Investments in Trump Businesses
Says Judiciary Committee is Failing to do its Constitutional Duty
WASHINGTON – Congressman Steve Cohen, the Ranking Member of the House Judiciary Committee's Subcommittee on the Constitution, introduced an amendment today during a committee proceeding to obtain documents from the Department of Justice relating to foreign investments in businesses owned by President Trump, as well as those relating to efforts by Felix Sater, Michael Cohen and Ivanka Trump to expand Trump Organization's holdings in Russia during the 2016 U.S. presidential election, including efforts to build a Trump Tower in Moscow. His amendment was offered to H Res. 938, a resolution of inquiry seeking other documents from the Department of Justice. Cohen's amendment was defeated in committee on a party line vote. See his remarks here.
A copy of Congressman Cohen's amendment can be found here.
Congressman Cohen said the intelligence agencies have already established that Russia ordered an influence campaign aimed at the 2016 presidential election.
"Russia's goals were to undermine faith in the U.S. democratic process, denigrate Secretary Clinton and harm her electability and potential presidency. Our Constitutional duty would be to listen to our intelligence officials," Congressman Cohen told his committee colleagues. "This Committee has a sacred obligation to find out what happened and to protect our democracy from any further foreign attack. If Russia used financial inducements to influence the election or the activities of President Trump, we need to know."
Earlier in the markup, Congressman Cohen said the Committee has failed to meet its obligations to protect the Constitution by not looking into voter suppression and election interference.
"We've done nothing," Cohen said. "This entire Committee is out of order. We've been out of order all year long. We have a duty as the Judiciary Committee of the United States House of Representatives to protect our Constitution and we have not done that." See those remarks here.