13 members get subpoenas in Wilkes corruption trial-NONE-Will Comply With Subpoena

[kpete]

13 members get subpoenas in Wilkes corruption trial


Thirteen senior House members -- nine Republicans and four Democrats -- have been served with subpoenas from defense attorneys representing Brent Wilkes, the former defense contractor charged with bribing imprisoned ex-Rep. Duke Cunningham (R-Calif.).

None of the lawmakers will comply with the subpoena, according to an official notification read on the House floor Monday evening.

Wilkes is seeking testimony from all the lawmakers but after consulting with the House General Counsel's office, which advises lawmakers on legal issue related to their official congressional duties, the members declined to comply with the subpoenas.

The subpoenas were read into the Congressional Record late in the day's session, after the final vote, and the recipients include some of the top members of the House on both sides of the aisle. The list of members getting subpoenas includes: former Speaker Dennis Hastert (R-Ill.); House Minority Whip Roy Blunt (R-Mo.); Rep. Jerry Lewis (R-Calif.), former chairman of the Appropriations Committee; Rep. Duncan Hunter (R-Calif.), former chairman of the Armed Services Committee; Rep. Peter Hoekstra (R-Mich.), former Intelligence Committee chairman; Armed Services Committee Chairman Ike Skelton (D-Mo.); Intelligence Committee Chairman Silvestre Reyes (D-Texas); Rep. Jack Murtha (D-Pa.), chairman of the Defense subcommittee of the Appropriations Committee; Rep. Norm Dicks (D-Wash.); Rep. John Doolittle (R-Calif.); Rep. Darrell Issa (R-Calif.); Joe Knollenberg (R-Mich.); and Rep. Jerry Weller (R-Ill.).

more at:
http://www.politico.com/blogs/thecrypt/0907/13_members_get_subpoenas_from_Wilkes_in_corruption_trial.html

[Blackhatjack]

1. They may not comply with a subpoena to appear, but they may be deposed under oath...

... unless there is some Constitutional exception that I do not know about.

Members of Congress cannot be diverted from travelling to Congress, or participating in Congressional business.

However, depositions can be conducted in their own offices or other locations convenient to them.

If the have information important to the defense then Wilkes is entitled to question and/or depose them.