Ryan issues warning to ex-FBI lawyer defying subpoena

WASHINGTON — House Republicans have told former FBI lawyer Lisa Page that she must answer questions before two House committees investigating the Justice Department this week or they will begin the process of holding her in contempt of Congress.

Page was subpoenaed to appear for a private interview Wednesday, but her lawyer informed the committees Tuesday that she would not show up. Amy Jeffress said Page had offered to voluntarily appear before the committees later this month, but needed more clarification about what the lawmakers would be asking. Jeffress also said Page had been attempting to access documents at the FBI to prepare for the hearing.

The House Judiciary and Oversight and Government Reform Committees are interested in Page as part of their investigation into what they say is bias at the Justice Department. Page exchanged text messages critical of Donald Trump with FBI agent Peter Strzok, who will testify publicly before the panels Thursday. Page and Strzok both worked on the FBI investigation into Democrat Hillary Clinton’s emails and, later, on special counsel Robert Mueller’s Russia investigation.

House Judiciary Chairman Robert Goodlatte and House Oversight and Government Reform Chairman Trey Gowdy wrote Jeffress Wednesday evening demanding that Page either appear at the public hearing with Strzok on Thursday or for a private deposition Friday. If she doesn’t, the Republicans said, they will initiate the contempt process at 10:30 a.m. Friday.

“We are aware of the issues raised regarding access to documents by the FBI,” Goodlatte and Gowdy wrote. “We are also aware of committee efforts to schedule your client’s appearance for over six months now.”

House Speaker Paul Ryan said Wednesday that he backed Goodlatte’s efforts to secure Page’s testimony. “A subpoena to testify before Congress is not optional, it’s mandatory,” Ryan said.

Contempt votes are rare in Congress and often largely symbolic. If the full House does vote to hold someone in contempt, the matter then moves to the courts, where it has often stalled. Threats of contempt have had mixed results. Ryan recently secured the release of some documents by the Justice Department by threatening to hold officials there in contempt. But contempt threats were futile earlier this year when former White House strategist Steve Bannon refused to answer certain questions before the House intelligence committee, which was investigating Russian election interference. Bannon never answered the questions, and the House never voted on whether to hold him in contempt.