GOP's Jordan asks White House to let ex-official testify to avoid 'unnecessary conflict' on security clearances

In a letter obtained by CNN and dated Friday, Jordan is asking White House counsel Pat Cipollone to allow former official Carl Kline to sit down for a voluntary transcribed interview to avoid a growing constitutional clash between the two branches of government. The move comes after the White House instructed Kline, who now works at the Defense Department, to defy a subpoena because Oversight Chairman Elijah Cummings would not allow a White House attorney to attend Kline's deposition, citing committee rules.

Democrats look to courts as White House stonewalls on subpoenas

Cummings is now threatening to hold Kline in contempt, which Jordan says in his letter could happen as soon as Tuesday.

"To avoid unnecessary conflict between Congress and the Executive Branch and to de-escalate Chairman Cummings' orchestrated interbranch confrontation, I write to ask whether Mr. Kline would agree to appear for a voluntary transcribed interview with committee staff," Jordan wrote, offering next Tuesday or Wednesday as options.

Kline's testimony has been of high interest for Democrats after a career White House official, Tricia Newbold, told committee investigators that he greenlighted security clearances for White House officials despite red flags raised in the vetting process.

Newbold identified 25 instances where concerns had been raised over White House officials' clearances, including for Jared Kushner and Ivanka Trump. Democrats have been pushing to understand the role of President Trump and top White House officials in the clearance process, but Cipollone has rejected a series of requests, including the subpoena for Kline's appearance.

Kline had initially offered to testify voluntarily, which Jordan alludes to in his letter, and the GOP has been sharply critical of Cummings for not taking that offer. But the White House had objected to some lines of inquiry, namely over the process taken for individuals' security clearances, prompting the subpoena from the Democratic-led committee.

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