The incoming House Judiciary Chairman says they could subpoena Robert Mueller if the Trump administration restricts the investigation of possible meddling in the 2016 presidential campaign.
Representative Jerrold Nadler, a New York Democrat, said the House Judiciary Committee has the power to demand to know the contents of Mueller’s Russia interference probe if necessary.
It came after the US resident this week hired Matthew Whitaker as his Attorney General – a man who previously suggested draining financial resources to limit the probe in a CNN interview.
Incoming House Judiciary Chairman, Democrat Jerrold Nadler, says they could subpoena Robert Mueller
Nadler (pictured in May) said they could ask the Special Counsel what was in his report if it’s restricted
‘We could subpoena the final report. We could subpoena Mueller and ask him in front of the committee and ask him ‘what was in your final report?’ he told ABC News on Sunday.
He was speaking to Chief Anchor George Stephanopoulos on his show, This Week after he warned on Wednesday he could take action when the new Congress gathers next year.
Nadler added that he didn’t think Whitaker’s appointment was legal.
‘His appointment is simply part of an attack on the investigation by Robert Mueller,’ Nadler said. ‘It’s part of a pattern of interference by the president and part of a pattern of obstruction … of that investigation.’
It echoed a statement he made on Wednesday.
‘The firing of Attorney General Jeff Sessions fits a clear pattern of interference from President Donald Trump,’ he wrote. ‘If he abuses his office … then there will be consequences.’
He added on Sunday that Whitaker could be subpoenaed if he’s still the acting AG in January.
It came after Donald Trump hired Matthew Whitaker (right) as his acting Attorney General Wednesday
‘We will make sure that Matt Whitaker immediately – one of our first orders of business will be to invite him, and if necessary to subpoena him … to appear before the committee,’ Nadler said.
As well as overseeing the federal courts and federal law enforcement, Nadler’s committee will supervise the Department of Justice and would be the first to consider articles of impeachment.
However Nadler wouldn’t say whether he thought Trump had obstructed justice.
‘I’m not prepared to say that,’ Nadler said.
‘We will provide a check and a balance, we will hold the president accountable. He will learn that he is accountable, that he’s not above the law and that’s part of what we’ll have to look at.’
Counselor to the president, Kellyanne Conway told the show there’s ‘no evidence’ to suugest Whitaker knows anything about the Mueller investigation.
‘He’s been the chief of staff to the recused attorney general for 13 months. But the president wanted to have a continuum,’ she said.
‘I think comments that Matt Whitaker made as a private citizen on cable TV does not disqualify him from being fair and impartial, by overseeing this investigation.’
Robert Mueller has ‘dozens of sealed indictments’ associated with US President Donald Trump’s 2016 presidential campaign
This week it was claimed Mueller has ‘dozens of sealed indictments’ for people associated with Donald Trump’s 2015-16 campaign and his administration, according to an insider who worked with the Special Counsel.
‘Nobody who’s close to the Russians is getting out of this,’ the official told the Observer.
Mueller has been investigating Trump for the past 18 months and quietened down about the probe in the two months leading up to the midterm elections on Tuesday so not to seem to interfere with voting decisions.
He is expected to soon be done with the final draft of his report as to whether Trump’s Russian ties helped him in the 2016 presidential elections.
The Russia collusion probe headed by Robert Mueller (pictured) appeared to be under threat when Trump hired Matthew Whitaker
Donald Trump Jr is predicted to be a focus point. The American leader’s son is believed to have lied about a meeting with Russian intelligence officials in in June 2016.
He initially said it was about adoptions but changed his tune when talking to the New York Times in July 2017, saying a former 2013 Miss Universe contact had requested a meeting.
It emerged Trump Jr., Jared Kushner and then-campaign manager Paul Manafort, had spoken about alleged links between campaign rival Hillary Clinton and the Russians that could damage her reputation.
Manafort has since been tied to the Kremlin.
Mueller could ask to interview the president’s son about possibly involving Russia in the election and whether he has obstructed the investigation.
Donald Trump Jr (left) and Roger Stone (right) could be both be focuses in Mueller’s investigation
Protests erupted in defense of Special Counsel Robert Mueller’s Russia collusion investigation after President Donald Trump appointed Mueller critic Matthew Whitaker as acting attorney general
The Special Counsel could also be on the heels of former campaign consultant Roger Stone.
Stone – a friend of the president and Manafort since the 70s – could be linked in various ways to the Russian interference.
Perhaps most notably, he posted Twitter direct messages between himself and alleged Democratic National Committee hacker Guccifer 2.0 on his blog. According to a February 2018 it was operated by Russian military intelligence.
Whitaker’s appointment was met with protests in different cities calling for the protection of the Mueller probe.
In radio and television interviews last year, Whitaker repeatedly supported Trump’s ‘illegal witch hunt’ charge against the investigation.
Members of Congress said his appointment was unconstitutional, because he has never been confirmed for top office by the US Senate.
Republican Senate chief Mitch McConnell insisted the probe was not under threat and that Whitaker was only a ‘very interim’ Justice head, while Trump weighs candidates for a permanent attorney general.