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WRITER'S DIRECT DIAL NO.
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WRITER'S EMAIL ADDRESS
williamburck@quinnemanuel.com

May 7, 2019
VIA E-MAIL
The Honorable Jerrold Nadler
Chairman
United States House of Representatives
Committee on the Judiciary
Washington, DC 20515-6216
HJUD.Correspondence@mail.house.gov
Re:

April 22, 2019 Subpoena

Dear Chairman Nadler,
As you know, I previously accepted service of the subpoena for documents issued by the
United States House of Representatives Committee on the Judiciary (hereinafter, the
“Committee”), with return time and date of 10:00 am EDT, today May 7, 2019, on behalf of my
client Donald F. McGahn, former Counsel to the President of the United States. Upon receipt of
the subpoena, I forwarded it to the White House Counsel’s Office as it seeks, as relevant to Mr.
McGahn, production of White House documents and other materials relating to Executive Branch
equities (collectively, “White House documents”). Subsequently, representatives from the White
House Counsel’s Office and the Department of Justice reviewed the documents in question.
This morning, I received the enclosed letter from current Counsel to the President, Pat A.
Cipollone. In it, Mr. Cipollone explains that Acting Chief of Staff, Mick Mulvaney, who I
understand is the custodian of documents for the White House, has directed that Mr. McGahn not
produce the White House documents “because they implicate significant Executive Branch
confidentiality interests and executive privilege.” Mr. Cipollone’s letter goes on to note that “the
Department of Justice is aware of and concurs with this legal position.”
As you will appreciate, Mr. McGahn, as a former Assistant to the President and the most
senior attorney for the President in his official capacity, continues to owe certain duties and
obligations to the President which he is not free to disregard. Here, the Committee seeks to compel
Mr. McGahn to produce White House documents the Executive Branch has directed that he not
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 produce. Where co-equal branches of government are making contradictory demands on Mr.
McGahn concerning the same set of documents, the appropriate response for Mr. McGahn is to
maintain the status quo unless and until the Committee and the Executive Branch can reach an
accommodation. Please note Mr. Cipollone writes that his office will respond to the Committee
about the White House documents.
Finally, I apologize that my response is later than requested in the subpoena. I did not
receive Mr. Cipollone’s letter until after 10:00 am EDT today. Although I was informed by phone
earlier this morning that the White House would be taking this position, I believed it was important
that the Committee receive Mr. Cipollone’s letter contemporaneously with mine for Mr. McGahn.
I am, of course, available to you or Committee staff if you have any questions.
Sincerely,

William A. Burck
cc: Honorable Doug Collins, Ranking Member
Enclosure

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