The Defense Department wrote on Tuesday that it is unable to cooperate "at this time" with House committees' subpoena for documents related to President Trump's efforts to push Ukraine to investigate Joe Biden, Politico's Jake Sherman reports.
The big picture: The department's refusal to hand over documents is based largely on the executive privilege argument invoked by the White House over the unredacted Mueller report and the controversial Census citizenship question. The DOD also argues that the House has not yet held a full, formal vote to authorize an impeachment inquiry against Trump.
What's happening: The House Intelligence, Foreign Affairs and Oversight committees are investigating whether Trump froze U.S. military aid to Ukraine to pressure its government to investigate Biden and his son over unsubstantiated corruption allegations.
- The White House has told House Democratic leaders that it will not comply with their impeachment inquiry, calling the probe "constitutionally illegitimate."
What they're saying: "The Department understands the significance of your request for information and has taken steps to identify, preserve, and collect potentially responsive documents. ... The Department is prepared to engage in that process consistent with longstanding practice and provide the responsive information should there be resolution of this matter."
Go deeper ... Trump-Ukraine scandal: The key players, dates and documents