1/ The White House instructed a former security clearance official not to comply with a subpoena to testify before the House Oversight Committee. Carl Kline, former White House personnel security director, was responsible for the Trump administration’s security clearance process. He oversaw the approval of at least 25 people for security clearances despite serious concerns raised during the vetting process. Trump’s deputy counsel argued in a letter that the subpoena by the committee “unconstitutionally encroaches on fundamental executive branch interests.� Kline’s attorney, meanwhile, said Kline is being forced to choose between “two masters from two equal branches of government,� and that Kline intends to “follow the instructions of the one that employs him.� (CNN / Axios / Daily Beast)

2/ The House Oversight Committee moved to hold the former White House personnel security director in contempt of Congress for failing to appear at a hearing investigating lapses in White House security clearance procedures. Kline is accused of overriding career national security officials to approve security clearances for officials whose applications were initially denied. Elijah Cummings, chairman of the committee, said “The White House and Mr. Kline now stand in open defiance of a duly authorized congressional subpoena with no assertion of any privilege of any kind by President Trump.� (Politico / Washington Post)

3/ The Treasury Department missed the House Ways and Means Committee deadline to turn over six years of Trump’s personal and business tax returns. Earlier in the day, the White House indicated that Trump was “not inclined� to hand over his tax returns and Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin said the administration will make a “final decision� by May 6 on whether to turn over Trump’s tax returns. Earlier this month, Mnuchin said “the Treasury Department will not be able to complete its review� by the deadline, due to the “unprecedented nature of this request.� (CNN / Wall Street Journal / Politico / HuffPost / Reuters)

📌 Day 784: Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin suggested that he would protect Trump’s privacy if House Democrats request Trump’s tax returns, saying: “We will examine the request and we will follow the law … and we will protect the president as we would protect any taxpayer� regarding their right to privacy. Mnuchin said he “can’t speculate� on how the administration will respond to demands for Trump’s tax returns until it sees the request. House Democrats are preparing to ask the IRS for 10 years of Trump’s personal tax returns under under a 1924 provision that requires the Treasury secretary to “furnish� any individual’s...