House Oversight and Government Reform Committee Chairman Darrell Issa (R-Calif.) on Tuesday threatened the Obama administration with another subpoena for information, this time in a bid to learn more about a White House political office that he says may violate the law.
"The American people have a right to know if their tax dollars are being spent to support congressional campaigns during the 2014 midterm elections in violation of federal law," Issa wrote to White House Chief of Staff Denis McDonough.
FILE - This April 10, 2014 file photo shows House Oversight Committee Chairman Rep. Darrell Issa, R-Calif., . (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite, File)
"If the White House continues to withhold documents and information related to the reopening of the White House political office, I will have no alternative but to consider the use of compulsory process to obtain the requested documents."
Issa's letter reflects his latest effort to learn more about President Barack Obama's decision to reopen the White House Office of Political Affairs, or OPA. Issa said press stories indicate that office will be used to let the White House respond to political requests from Democrats seeking help in the mid-term elections.
But Issa said those activities are "similar" to those the Bush administration was participating in back in 2008. Those activities led the Oversight and Government Reform Committee — then led by Democrats — to find that the office was violating the law.
Issa asked McDonough in March for documents and information related to the new OPA. But his Tuesday letter said the response "contained contradictory information and failed to provide any documents and information requested related to the White House political office."
As a result, Issa this week is asking the White House to comply with his request by June 3.
Issa's subpoena threat is the latest of several he has made — and delivered — against the Obama White House. Issa has already issued subpoenas against the administration to find information about the IRS targeting scandal, and about the implementation of Obamacare, among others.
Issa's letter is here:
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