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Aug. 15 (UPI) -- The House judiciary committee issued subpoenas to two of President Donald Trump's former staffers Thursday. Committee Chairman Jerry Nadler, D-N.Y., announced Trump's former campaign manager Corey Lewandowski and former White House Deputy Chief of Staff Rick Dearborn had been subpoenaed to testify publicly Sept. 17 about alleged crimes listed in former special counsel Robert Mueller's report.
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"Corey Lewandowski and Rick Dearborn were prominently featured in the special counsel's description of President Trump's efforts to obstruct justice by directing then-White House Counsel Don McGhan to fire the special counsel and by ordering him to lie about it," Nadler said.
He added that the testimony will "help the committee determine whether to recommend articles of impeachment" against Trump.
The Mueller report states that Trump sent two letters to Lewandowski, who was acting as an adviser to Trump, seeking that he ask then-Attorney General Jeff Sessions to limit the Mueller investigation.
"The message said that Sessions should publicly announce that, notwithstanding his recusal from the Russia investigation, the investigation was 'very unfair' to the president, the president had done nothing wrong and Sessions planned to meet with the special counsel and 'let [him] move forward with investigating election meddling for future elections," the report states.
Mueller's report also states that Lewandowski asked Dearborn to deliver the message to Sessions, but Dearborn did not.
An attorney for Lewandowski issued a statement Thursday noting that Lewandowski has previously appeared before Congress and was interviewed by Mueller's office, NBC News reported.
"In light of this, it is fair to ask what could be gained from requiring him to appear again," the attorney said.
