Whitaker, Democrats spar at House hearing
WASHINGTON» Matthew Whitaker, in his first and likely last appearance before Congress as acting attorney general, sparred for hours Friday with Democrats who sternly warned him not to impede special counsel Robert Mueller III’s investigation of Russian interference in the 2016 presidential campaign.
Whitaker, who took command of the Justice Department in November and is likely to leave the job next week with the expected confirmation of William Barr to serve as attorney general, told members of the House Judiciary Committee that he had not influenced Mueller’s probe in any way, and had not spoken to President Trump about the investigation since his appointment.
In a series of chippy exchanges with Democrats who questioned his credentials, judgment and integrity, Whitaker adopted a confrontational tone that often left lawmakers exasperated.
Over and over, he refused to detail his conversations with the president — prompting the House Judiciary Committee chairman to end the hearing by threatening a subpoena if follow-up questions weren’t answered. Whitaker carefully watched the clock, at one point noting the chairman’s five-minute window to ask questions had expired.
More substantively, Whitaker refused to disagree with the president’s characterization of Mueller’s probe as a “witch hunt” — something other top law enforcement officials or Trump nominees have not hesitated to do.
“It would be inappropriate for me to talk about an ongoing investigation,” Whitaker said several times when asked if he thought Mueller’s work matched that description.
From the hearing’s opening minutes, Whitaker was pressed by Democrats to explain his role in overseeing Mueller’s investigation as Republicans focused their questions mostly on the administration’s policies. The acting attorney general sought to impress upon them that, under his stewardship, it was business as usual for the special counsel.
“There has been no change in the overall management of the special counsel investigation,” he said. “I have and will continue to manage this investigation in a manner that is consistent with the governing regulations.”
Democrats seemed unconvinced.
In one notable moment, Rep. Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., hailed the special counsel’s work as an important national security investigation and asserted, “the fact that people suggest otherwise comes dangerously close to providing aid and comfort to the enemy.” Then he offered Whitaker a stern warning for what are likely his final days in office.
“Keep your hands off the Mueller investigation,” the lawmaker said.
At times, Whitaker seemed to avoid answering lawmakers’ question directly — though he offered some unequivocal pronouncements.
He said, for example, “I have not talked to the president of the United States about the special counsel’s investigation.”
But on a separate Trumprelated investigation, Whitaker hedged. He disputed a news report that the president had lashed out at him after Michael Cohen, Trump’s former lawyer, pleaded guilty to various crimes in federal court.