Flashcards Studio

During a Senate inquiry in aid of legislation into alleged irregularities in a public-private partnership for urban mass transit, a committee subpoenas the chief financial officer of the private consortium to testify and to produce emails and the contract between the consortium and the government. The CFO refuses, citing trade secrets and the obligation to protect sensitive business information. The committee maintains that the subpoena is authorized by the Constitution’s power to conduct inquiries in aid of legislation and by the committee’s rules. (a) Identify the controlling doctrine governing legislative inquiries and the authority for subpoena power. (b) Distinguish this doctrine from related concepts and explain the limits on the subpoena power. (c) Apply the doctrine to these facts and decide whether the subpoena should be sustained and what remedies are available if the private party refuses.