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Judiciary Chairman Nadler Agrees to Date with Acting AG Whitaker for First Trump Administration Oversight Hearing of 116th Congress

Washington, DC, January 15, 2019
Chairman Nadler sets 9:30 am on Friday, February 8th for Acting Attorney General Whitaker to testify before the House Judiciary Committee.

Today, House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jerrold Nadler (D-NY) sent the following letter to Acting Attorney General Matthew Whitaker setting the agreed date of February 8th, 2019 for Mr. Whitaker’s open testimony as part of the first congressional oversight hearing looking into the policies, management, and decision making at the Department of Justice.  Since November 30th, when the Acting Attorney General committed to appear for a January hearing, the House Judiciary Committee has been working to schedule an appropriate time for his testimony.  On January 9th, Chairman Nadler laid out the Committee’s oversight priorities with regards to the Department and cited two separate OLC determinations that Justice Department officials are required to provide testimony at hearings, even during a funding lapse.

Below is a copy of Chairman Nadler’s letter agreeing to set February 8th, 2019 for a hearing with Acting Attorney General Whitaker in the House Judiciary Committee:

January 15, 2019

The Honorable Matthew Whitaker
Acting Attorney General
U.S. Department of Justice
950 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW
Washington, D.C. 20530

Dear Acting Attorney General Whitaker:

Thank you for continuing to work with us to find a time for you to testify before the House Committee on the Judiciary.  I am happy to have reached an agreement for you to appear on February 8, 2019. 

As we have discussed and I have informed your staff, I expect you to appear on February 8 whether or not the current lapse in appropriations has been resolved, and whether or not the Senate has confirmed a new Attorney General. 

Per our practice in hearings of this nature, the Committee will expect you to provide direct answers to questions asked by members of both parties.  If you plan to invoke executive privilege in an attempt to avoid answering any particular question, I ask that you consult with the White House well in advance of the hearing.  We will commence at 9:30am and continue for the full day.  Please provide a copy of your written statement to the Committee at least 48 hours in advance.  Thank you, and I look forward to your testimony.

Sincerely,

_______________________________

Chairman Jerrold Nadler
House Committee on the Judiciary

cc:The Hon. Doug Collins
     Ranking Member, House Committee on the Judiciary

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