Exactly, and this was the whole game from the beginning. They issued carefully worded requests for information/testimony and simply CLAIMED they sent a subpoena, then told the media they actually did, and like the lapdogs they are they repeated it, and people like Nutilduuuuuh, TwittySeal, and Suchgoon sucked it down like the thirsty bias confirming TDS sufferers they are. Now that this is all over with, they can't produce any of the documents and are reduced to trying to distract with stories about "Mike Pompeo says" and FOIA requests rather than just admitting they are chumps that parrot whatever the idiot box tells them without ever checking for themselves.
Well, then this endless tirade makes sense sort of.
Regardless, there is a huge difference between "I received a request from (Someone/something very powerful who you wouldn't want to not obey)" and "I received a legal subpoena."
Yes, there is. However if they were to simply call it what it was, they would then have to battle all of the MSM and toadies like here in this thread, and some how make them understand something that they don't want to understand, that there were only carefully worded requests for information sent, and not valid subpoenas. It is much easier to just play along with their stupid games and not cooperate, because they have no authority to compel them.