Chairman Nadler Letter to Acting AG Whitaker Regarding Questions Ahead of Feb. 8th Oversight Hearing

Feb 6, 2019 Issues: Gun Control

Washington, D.C. – Today, House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jerrold Nadler (D-NY), sent a letter to Acting Attorney General Matthew Whitaker informing him of the Committee's previously disclosed expectation that Mr. Whitaker will provide full and complete answers to all questions without invoking executive privilege. The letter follows a January 22nd letter Chairman Nadler sent, outlining a list of prepared questions concerning communications Mr. Whitaker may have had with President Trump and other White House officials and asking 48 hour notion if executive privilege was being invoked by the President.

A copy of the letter can be found below and here:

February 6, 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:

On January 22, 2019, I provided you with a list of questions that involve communications you may have had with President Trump and other White House officials regarding your tenure at the Department of Justice.  I provided these questions to you in advance of your scheduled appearance before the House Judiciary Committee so that you could resolve any potential issues relating to executive privilege in advance of the hearing.  I asked that you notify the Committee in writing no later than 48 hours before our hearing if President Trump plans to invoke executive privilege to prevent you from answering any of these questions. 

You have now had more than two weeks to engage in any necessary consultations with the White House Counsel and the President.  Because you have not provided any notification to the Committee regarding executive privilege—or, indeed, any communication in response to the January 22 letter—my understanding is that you will provide full and complete answers to these questions when they are asked at your hearing this Friday. 

Thank you, and I look forward to your testimony.

Sincerely,

__________________________________

Jerrold Nadler
Chairman
House Committee on the Judiciary

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

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