Donald Trump’s former counsel Don McGahn testifies on alleged Russian interference

McGahn was questioned for hours on Friday by House Judiciary Committee Democrats about the investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 election

A transcript of McGahn’s testimony is supposed to be publicly released within seven days

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Former White House counsel Donald McGahn. Photo: AP

Published: 6:34am, 5 Jun 2021Updated: 7:24am, 5 Jun 2021

Former White House counsel Donald McGahn was questioned for hours on Friday by House Judiciary Committee Democrats about the investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 election and whether Donald Trump, US president at the time, tried to head it off.

Few explosive or timely new revelations were expected from the closed-door interview. But McGahn’s appearance marks the end of a two-year legal stand-off over whether an executive branch official can be forced to testify to Congress, even if his appearance does not provide either side with a clear-cut legal victory.

Judiciary Chairman Jerrold Nadler, a New York Democrat, and other panel members from both parties were limited in what they could ask McGahn under an “agreement in principle” worked out among McGahn’s lawyers, President Joe Biden’s Justice Department and House legal counsel.

Jim Jordan and Matt Gaetz walk while former White House counsel Don McGahn appears before the House Judiciary Committee on Capitol Hill in Washington, US on Friday. Photo: Reuters

“I think he’s being somewhat difficult,” Nadler said, declining to go into details about what topics were discussed. “But you’ll see that when the transcript comes out.”

A transcript of McGahn’s testimony is supposed to be publicly released within seven days. But Nadler said he was unsure when it would be made public because it first will be reviewed by lawyers for the Justice Department, Trump and McGahn.

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