Ex-Counsel Tells Congress of Trump Efforts to Undercut Russia Probe, Democrats Say 

WASHINGTON - A former White House counsel "shed new light" on the investigation into Russia's role in the 2016 U.S. elections and the pressure he was under to stymie the federal probe, congressional Democrats said Friday. 

Don McGahn, who served as Donald Trump's presidential lawyer for nearly two years before resigning in October 2018, testified in a daylong, closed-door session before the House Judiciary Committee. McGahn appeared under a subpoena issued about two years ago to testify as the committee was looking into allegations of wrongdoing by Trump. Late in 2019, the House voted to impeach Trump on charges of abuse of power and obstruction of Congress. The Senate, then under Republican control, acquitted him. A transcript of McGahn's testimony is due to be made public in coming days. Under an agreement with the Department of Justice, Judiciary Committee members declined to provide specifics of what he said before then.