With Alex Romero prepared to subpoena Jackie Sharp and Garrett Walker, Francis sends Mark Usher to make sure the congressman knows he will have no future in Democratic politics if he doesn’t gracefully back down. Ignoring the threat, however, Romero makes it clear that he wants Francis out and would like Usher’s support. So after leaking a news story that undermines the impact of Sharp’s testimony, Usher says it was the best he could do and that they can now push off responsibility for the misdeeds on former Vice President Donald Blythe. Meanwhile, Sean Jeffries uncovers evidence that Francis bought his way to the top of an organ transplant list. While inquiring about what Macallan might have told President Petrov before he was extracted from Russia, Jane Davis asks LeAnn to come work with her. After Claire forces her to defend hiring LeAnn, Davis alerts Francis to a sarin gas attack in Syria that could create an opening for sending in U.S. troops under the guise of rescue. Troubled to learn that Francis will only act after the attack, Catherine Durant turns to Davis with her reservations, unaware that she worked behind the scenes to orchestrate the response. As Davis suggests that Durant may be in over her head as secretary of state – especially now that they are considering diving into war – Doug reveals that Usher was grooming Romero for a presidential run and that he may be playing both sides from the middle. Learning that former President Walker has agreed to appear before Romero’s committee, Francis looks for something that would persuade him to invoke his Fifth Amendment rights. Though warned that Walker’s pleading the Fifth will leave him looking foolish, Romero refuses to back down. So after Walker agrees to take a leadership role at a prominent university in exchange for his cooperation, he heads to Capitol Hill. However, as Francis and his team watch from the White House, Walker surprises everyone by agreeing to turn over everything he knows about campaign finance fraud in the Underwood White House. After refusing Macallan’s request to go on the run with him, LeAnn is stunned when he’s found dead from a gunshot wound in his hotel room. Finally, as Tom Hammerschmidt presses Doug about Zoe Barnes, Francis and Claire dismiss Usher and prepare to face the next crisis on their own.
