Sen. Johnson says Senate Republicans Oppose Issuing Subpoena for James Comey to Testify, Won’t Name Names

Republicans on the Senate Homeland Security Committee oppose issuing a subpoena that would compel former FBI Director James Comey to testify, Chairman Ron Johnson (R-WI) said in an interview.

“We had a number of my committee members that were highly concerned about how this looks politically,” Johnson said in a Wednesday interview with radio host Hugh Hewitt. “If I lose one, I lose the vote.”

The committee’s eight Republicans hold a two-vote advantage over the six Democrats. Pressed by Hewitt to name the defectors, Johnson refused, saying, “Hugh, I’m just not going to be naming names that way.”

“If there’s a senator who is blocking a subpoena, we need to know who that is so we throw them out,” Hewitt said.

Johnson’s office later clarified to reporters that he had the authority to issue a subpoena, but had made the decision not to do so out of respect for his colleagues.

Observers have pointed out that Sen. Mitt Romney (R-UT) — who voted in favor of President Donald Trump’s impeachment this year — is among the committee’s Republicans, in addition to the moderate Sen. Rob Portman (R-OH). Conservative members include Sens. Rand Paul (KY), Josh Hawley (MO), and James Lankford (OK).

Republicans have sought to hear testimony from Comey, as well as former CIA Director John Brennan and former CIA Director James Clapper, on details of the Obama administration’s surveillance of Trump’s 2016 presidential campaign. Senate Judiciary Chairman Lindsey Graham (R-SC) is overseeing a parallel investigation of the same issue.

Listen above via The Hugh Hewitt Show.