Former Bush DOJ official on Mueller report fight: Dems 'want to put as many people in jail as they can'

close

Video

Tom Dupree expects federal court will resolve stalemate over Don McGahn

The White House has instructed former White House counsel Don McGahn not to comply with a subpoena from House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jerrold Nadler; reaction from Tom Dupree, former deputy assistant attorney general under President George W Bush.

Former deputy attorney general Tom Dupree said Tuesday that the Democrats plan to go "to the mat" in the aftermath of the Mueller report's release, and some in the party "want to put as many people in jail as they can."

Dupree, who served in the George W. Bush administration, said on "America's Newsroom" that Democrats are waiting to see how former Trump White House counsel Don McGahn will respond to an April 22 House Judiciary Committee subpoena to testify before Congress.

TRUMP TELLS DEMS 'IT'S OVER,' SAYS MCGAHN WON'T TESTIFY, HITS BIDEN'S 'VERY DUMB STATEMENT' IN FOX NEWS INTERVIEW

Earlier Tuesday, in a letter to Chairman Jerrold Nadler, D-N.Y., the White House said it would block McGahn from producing documents demanded by the committee.

President Trump told Fox News in a recent interview that McGahn should not testify: "They've testified for many hours, all of them. I would say, it's done," he told chief intelligence correspondent Catherine Herridge.

WHITE HOUSE BLOCKS MCGAHN FROM PRODUCING DOCUMENTS SUBPOENAED BY HOUSE JUDICIARY COMMITTEE

Dupree said that in regard to McGahn's testifying, if he "follows White House's instructions ... the Democrats are not going away."

"They have made clear that they want to put as many people in jail as they can. They want to just take them to the mat on this," Dupree said, adding that he foresees a possible legal battle between White House claims of executive privilege and Democrats' demand for disclosure.

Video

"That ultimately will get propelled into a federal court for resolution," he said.

CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP

Host Julie Banderas asked Dupree whether Democrats may pursue contempt charges against McGahn if he does not comply with their demands.

"If McGahn refuses to appear and answer their questions, I suspect that would be the next card they will play," Dupree said.

"Clearly, the Democrats are zeroing in on 'Volume II' of the Mueller report," he added, referring to the section detailing the investigation into whether obstruction of justice occurred.