Thread by @kyledcheney

NEW: Democrats are eyeing a new Mueller strategy to break the White House’s blockade: calling Chris Christie, Corey Lewandowski and other obstruction witnesses who never served in the administration.

Story w/ @dsamuelsohn

politico.com/story/2019/06/…

BUT: The White House has already laid the groundwork for denying access to outside advisers. They made the case last week that Congress couldn’t ask Kris Kobach about his talks with Trump and WH officials.

politico.com/story/2019/06/…

“These people could be called without any reasonable shred of a claim of executive privilege,” @RepRaskin told us.

But the WH cites 2007 OLC opinion that says outside advisers can be covered by privilege if they talk to the president or his inner circle. politico.com/story/2019/06/…

@RepRaskin Here's that OLC opinion: justice.gov/file/451161/do…

It says presidents should confidentially be able to solicit outside information, especially related to the removal of political appointees.

But...

@RepRaskin The OLC opinion relies heavily on a court ruling that says this principle has no bearing on Congress' demands for info:

leagle.com/decision/19978…