McCaul Subpoenas State Dept. for China Documents

Rep. Michael McCaul, the top Republican on the House Foreign Affairs Committee, subpoenaed the State Department for “key documents” relating to the agency’s reported “obstruction of the use of national security tools” against China, his office said in a July 12 press release. McCaul signed the subpoena about two months after he originally requested the documents from the State Department, citing news reports that the agency held back sanctions and export controls against China in an effort to limit damage to the U.S.-China relationship (see 2305240041).

The State Department failed to “comply with repeated document requests” from McCaul, the press release said, adding that the agency “must comply with this subpoena” by 10 a.m. July 17. “It is vital the committee obtain these documents to shed light on the department’s reported failure to enforce U.S. national security laws against [Chinese Communist Party] companies and human rights abusers,” McCaul said. “The department must comply as legally obligated, further obstruction and delay will not be tolerated.”

A State Department spokesperson didn’t comment.