(CNN) House Democrats on Thursday blew up their hearing with Attorney General William Barr, turning it into a spectacle with an empty chair after he declined to attend over their insistence that staff lawyers question him. They were willing to risk Barr not showing before they would agree to change the hearing format at the Justice Department's request. At the same time, Democrats' anger toward Barr and his handling of the Mueller report played a role in the standoff with the Justice Department. Several House Democrats are now talking about invoking so-called "inherent contempt," a legal argument that Congress has the ability to fine or jail those who defy a congressional subpoena outside of the court system. Anger rises toward BarrBut the fight between Barr and the Judiciary Committee has gotten particularly heated, as Democrats have been furious with his handling of the Mueller report.

Source: CNN May 02, 2019 21:22 UTC