White House Revelations: Giuliani Subpoenaed By House Committee, Pompeo Listened To Zelensky Call

The investigative spotlight on President Donald Trump’s phone call with Ukraine’s leader has started to pull other members of Trump's inner circle into its glare as House committees on Monday sent subpoenas to Trump’s personal lawyer Rudy Giuliani, and reports surfaced that Secretary of State Mike Pompeo was among the officials who listened to the July 25 call with President Volodymyr Zelensky.

The House last week started an impeachment inquiry into the president after a whistleblower said Trump suggested to the Ukrainian president that the country investigate Joe Biden, a potential Trump opponent in 2020, and a White House summary of the call confirmed the discussion.

Trump said there was nothing wrong with the call, but many House Democrats view his Trump’s request to a foreign country to do something that could help his re-election effort as illegal. 

Government officials also confirmed Monday that Trump has reached out to at least one other world leader, Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison, in an effort to promote cooperation with a separate, Trump-backed Justice Department inquiry into the now-completed special counsel investigation into the 2016 election.

Special Counsel Robert Mueller found that Russia interfered in the election, but declined to say whether Trump did anything illegal.

Giuliani Subpoenaed

The House committees looking into possible impeachment of the president subpoenaed documents from Giuliani related to his communications with Ukrainian officials.

Giuliani has said that Biden improperly tried to influence the Ukranian government in matters involving Biden’s son, who was a board member at a Ukrainian company.

A letter to Giuliani from House Democrats cited “credible allegations that you acted as an agent of the president in a scheme to advance his personal political interests by abusing the power of the office of the president.”

Giuliani said on Twitter that the subpoena "will be given appropriate consideration," adding that the subpoena came from Democrats who have prejudged the case, in his view. 

State Department officials confirmed to media outlets that Pompeo listened in on the July 25 call between Trump and Zelensky that is at the heart of the impeachment inquiry. +

It’s not uncommon for several other officials to listen in on such calls, but the reports show the State Department was at least aware of Trump’s discussions of Biden with the Ukrainian president.

Australia Called

The New York Times reported that a Justice Department official also confirmed Trump recently called Australian Prime Minister Morrison to suggest cooperation with the Justice Department probe into who may have helped with the investigation of the 2016 election. Trump has said that review could discredit his political opponents.

Also on Monday, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, a Republican, confirmed for the first time that if the House approves articles of impeachment, the Senate will take the issue to trial.

McConnell said on CNBC that the law would require the Senate to take it up.

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Secretary of State Mike Pompeo. Photo by Dustin Blitchok.