House Democrats fired their latest salvo in their impeachment battle with President Trump on Monday, subpoenaing Rudy Giuliani, the president's lawyer, for documents related to their investigation into Trump's push for the Ukrainian government to investigate former Vice President Joe Biden. Three House Democratic committee chairmen called for Giuliani to comply with the subpoena by Oct. 15. The subpoena requires the former New York City mayor to hand over communications about Hunter Biden, the former vice president's son, and efforts by Giuliani or his associates to pressure current or former Ukrainian officials to investigate matters regarding the Bidens or any other American. "Your failure or refusal to comply with the subpoena, including at the direction or behest of the president or the White House, shall constitute evidence of obstruction of the House's impeachment inquiry and may be used as an adverse inference against you and the president," the three chairmen told Giuliani in a joint letter (The Hill). Giuliani recently said in interviews that he saw the merits and downsides of cooperating with the investigation but would ultimately follow the advice of Trump as to whether he would do so. "It would give me a chance to explain what was really happening," he said. Giuliani has also put the spotlight on the State Department further into the Ukraine discussion, saying that he possesses texts from them asking for his involvement in the matter. "I have 40 texts from the State Department asking me to do what I did," Giuliani said (The Washington Post). The subpoena came as the president raged against the continued push by House Democrats, with much of his ire directed at House Intelligence Committee Chairman Adam Schiff (D-Calif.). Trump accused Schiff of committing treason for exaggerating parts of his call with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. Trump was likely referring to Schiff's remarks at last week's hearing with Joseph Maguire, the acting director of national intelligence, where he paraphrased what he considered actions of wrongdoing by the president, including to "make up dirt on my political opponent" (The Hill). Along with Schiff, Trump has continued to zero in on the whistleblower, whom the president has derided as a "#FakeWhistleblower." He told reporters on Monday that he wants to know the identity of the whistleblower despite laws that protect their identity. "We're trying to find out about a whistleblower," Trump told reporters in the Oval Office a day after tweeting that he deserves to "meet my accuser" and asserting that whistleblower laws were changed before the report was submitted, which is inaccurate (The Hill). The Hill: Five things to know as Ukraine fallout widens for Trump. The Associated Press: What's next as House committees launch impeachment probes. The Washington Post: Trump amps up attacks on whistleblower as some Republicans call for more strategic response to impeachment. Amid the president's airing of grievances, multiple new reports emerged on a number of different investigative fronts. On Ukraine, The Wall Street Journal reported that Secretary of State Mike Pompeo was on the July 25 phone call, which puts the State Department more directly in the impeachment line of fire. Additionally, The New York Times reported shortly thereafter that Trump pressed Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison to help Attorney General William Barr investigate the origins of former special counsel Robert Mueller's investigation. The Department of Justice said in a statement on Monday night that the president contacted foreign countries at Barr's request to ask them for assistance in an ongoing investigation into the origins of the probe (The Hill). In Congress, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) confirmed that the Senate would have "no choice" but to take up articles of impeachment if the House eventually passes them. However, he noted that how much time the Senate spends on the articles is another discussion. "I would have no choice but to take it up. How long you're on it is a whole different matter," McConnell told CNBC. Meanwhile, Trump's allies on Capitol Hill are following his pugnacious lead and are casting doubt on the entire saga. Rep. Liz Cheney (R-Wyo.), the No. 3 House Republican, said that the Ukraine call appears to her like "a political set up" (The Hill). Others have been pushing back on the whistleblower's account and have attacked the individual's credibility. "It doesn't come from a person with personal knowledge. It's like I heard these people say this, and now I'm reporting it. I think that is pretty bizarre," said Sen. John Cornyn (R-Texas). "Secondly, after a certain point, it doesn't just allege facts, it really is kind of a dossier or political diatribe, so I think there are plenty of reasons to be skeptical. Having said that, we are in the process of talking to the director of National Intelligence and the inspector general" (The Hill). With impeachment front and center in Congress now, some Democrats, especially those from more moderate states, are growing concerned that the inquiry and process could drag out and divert focus from the party, even though Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) remains intent on limiting the scope and time of the process. As Alexander Bolton reports, Democrats in the upper chamber are urging Pelosi and her colleagues to keep a "laser-like" focus on the Ukraine call and not drift into other areas. Politico: Trump grievance machine reaps millions off impeachment. 
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