Lawmakers plan to bring Trump campaign chairman before panel

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Senate Judiciary Committee plans to question the former chairman of the Trump campaign and will subpoena him if necessary, the panel's Republican chairman said today.

Sen. Chuck Grassley of Iowa said he and the committee's top Democrat, Dianne Feinstein of California, have agreed to try to bring Paul Manafort before the panel for questioning about the government's enforcement of a law requiring registration of foreign lobbyists. Feinstein's office confirmed that they plan to question him.

Manafort would unquestionably be asked about his participation in a Trump Tower meeting last summer with President Donald Trump's eldest son and son-in-law, where the purpose was to hear potentially damaging information about Hillary Clinton from a Russian lawyer.

Manafort disclosed the meeting in a package of information he provided to the Senate and House intelligence committees, who have been investigating potential coordination between Russia and the Trump campaign, as is Robert Mueller, the former FBI director appointed by the Justice Department as the special counsel.

"Obviously it would be appropriate for anybody to get into anything that went on at that meeting, and he was at that meeting," Grassley told Iowa reporters.

A person close to Manafort said that he hasn't yet received a letter from the Senate Judiciary committee about a possible interview. The person spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss Manafort's private interactions with the committee.