Political Quotes

“on behalf of myself and the distinguished Republican leader, Mr. McConnell, I send to the desk a resolution authorizing representation by the Senate Legal Counsel and ask for its immediate consideration. Mr. President, this resolution concerns third-party subpoenas to a Senate employee from Alfa Bank, the plaintiff in a lawsuit pending in Florida State court. The plaintiff, a large Russian bank, alleges in its lawsuit that unnamed defendants used cyber tools to create internet log data appearing to show communications between computer servers of the plaintiff and the Trump Organization, causing negative publicity. Alfa Bank is conducting third-party discovery to identify the unnamed persons it alleges conspired against it. As part of that attempted discovery, it has issued two subpoenas to a staff member of the Committee on Armed Services seeking testimony and Committee documents regarding his work for the Committee in examining the publicly-reported allegations about possible clandestine internet communications between plaintiff and the Trump Organization. Because the subpoenas seek testimony and documents relating to information gathering activities the staff person undertook as part of his duties for the Committee, they request information that is absolutely privileged under the Speech or Debate Clause. In addition, sovereign immunity precludes enforcement of State court subpoenas against officials and employees of the Federal government.…”