USA TODAY International Edition
Oversight chairman to pivot from Russia
Gowdy wants inquiry left to special counsel
Trey Gowdy, the new head of the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee, says he plans to turn the committee away from its investigation of Russian meddling in the 2016 election, a departure from his predecessor's aggressive approach.
The South Carolina Republican and former prosecutor believes much of the Russia investigation belongs under the special counsel or other congressional committees. He says he would prefer to have the Oversight Committee focus on some of the less headline- grabbing issues such as overseeing the Census and National Archives.
“It’s probably a case- by- case basis,” Gowdy said Friday when asked if he would continue some of the outstanding inquiries former chair, Rep. Jason Chaffetz, RUtah, is leaving behind, including a series of requests to the White House for documents linked to the Russia probe. Gowdy did say he would investigate things as they came up. Chaffetz announced his retirement in April and Republicans picked Gowdy to take over his spot as committee chairman.
Democrats on the House Oversight Committee sent a letter to White House chief of staff Reince Priebus last week, requesting information about the security clearances for President Trump’s former national security adviser Michael Flynn and Jared Kushner, his adviser and son- in- law. Democrats want to know why Flynn and Kushner did not have their security clearance suspended after allegations they had previously unreported contacts with Russian officials.
Gowdy said such a request doesn’t fall under Oversight’s purview and that he has shared that view with the committee’s top Democrat Rep. Elijah Cummings, D- Md.
“Allegations of criminal or quasi criminal activity are squarely in ( Special Counsel Robert Mueller’s) jurisdiction,” Gowdy said.
He also suggested that the House Judiciary Committee would have jurisdiction over some of the Russia investigation, but that committee has not been actively involved.
“I think the specifics of this letter are in Bob Mueller’s jurisdiction,” Gowdy said.