Document ID: ./input/supremecourt_opinions/opinions/19pdf/19-715_febh.pdf
Page Number: 33

8 

TRUMP v. MAZARS USA, LLP 

THOMAS, J., dissenting 

against  unreasonable  searches  and  seizures,”  a  subpoena 
for  private,  nonofficial  documents  raises  those  questions. 
Thus, the power to subpoena private documents, which the 
Committee  did  not  exercise,  is  a  far  greater  power  and
much less likely to be implied in Congress’ legislative pow-
ers. 

In 1832, the House investigated Representative Samuel 
Houston for assaulting Representative William Stanberry. 
Stanberry had accused Houston of collusion with Secretary 
of War John Eaton in connection with a bid for a Govern-
ment  contract,  and  the  House  initiated  an  investigation
into  the  truthfulness  of  Stanberry’s  accusation.    8  Cong. 
Deb. 2550, 3022–3023 (1832).  The House subpoenaed wit-
nesses  to  testify,  and  one  of  them  brought  official  corre-
spondence between the Secretary of War and the President.
H. R. Rep. No. 502, 22d Cong., 1st Sess. 64, 66–67 (1832).
But official documents are obviously different from nonoffi-
cial documents.  Moreover, the subpoenas were issued pur-
suant to the House’s enumerated privilege of punishing its
own Members, Art. I, §5, not as part of its legislative pow-
ers.  Because these subpoenas were not issued pursuant to
a legislative power, they do not aid the Committees’ case. 

2 
As late as 1827, a majority of the House declined to au-
thorize the Committee on Manufactures to subpoena docu-
ments, amid concerns that it was unprecedented.  During
the debate over the resolution, one opponent remarked that 
“[t]here is no instance under this Government, within my
recollection, where this power has been given for the mere 
purpose of enabling a committee of this House to adjust the 
details  of  an  ordinary  bill.”  4  Cong.  Deb.  865–866  (Rep.
Strong); see also id., at 862 (referring to “authority to bring 
any  citizens  of  the  United  States  . . .  whom  they  might 
choose  to  send  for,  and  compel  them  to  give  answers  to 
every inquiry which should be addressed to them” as “very