House Judiciary Dems to ask WH counsel for details of communications with FBI, Justice

Several Democrats on the House Judiciary Committee plan to send a letter Monday to White House counsel Don McGahn, asking him to detail communications between his office and the FBI and Justice Department. 

“We write to express our concern regarding reports of improper contacts between your office and the Federal Bureau of Investigation, concerning the FBI’s ongoing review of efforts by the Russian government to unlawfully influence the U.S. presidential election in favor of Mr. Trump,” the letter begins.

{mosads}The Democratic lawmakers go on to detail the events of the weekend, after President Trump tweeted an unsubstantiated claim that President Obama had wiretapped Trump Tower during the presidential election.

The signatories — including Reps. John Conyers Jr. (Mich.), Jerrold Nadler (N.Y.), Steve Cohen (Tenn.), Hank Johnson (Ga.), Ted Deutch (Fla.), Luis Gutiérrez (Ill.), Ted Lieu (Calif.) and Jamie Raskin (Md.) — point out that “no substantiation was offered for this accusation.”

But “more troubling,” they say, are reports of contact between McGahn’s office and law enforcement. The letter offers examples of reporting that said White House chief of staff Reince Priebus asked the FBI director to knock down reports of Trump’s campaign ties to Russia.

“If these reports are accurate, then these communications are both inappropriate and in violation of Department of Justice guidance,” the Democrats wrote.  

The letter asks that McGahn provide a description by March 24 “of any and all contacts or other communications (including phone contacts, emails, texts, voicemails, notes or other forms of contact, whether written, oral or otherwise) between anyone employed by or associated with the White House and any official or representative of the FBI or the Department of Justice, relating to any investigation into Russian interference in the recent presidential election and any related matter.”

JUST IN: House Judiciary Dems to send letter to WH counsel McGahn asking him to explain what he was doing this weekend regarding FBI & FISA. pic.twitter.com/lV0s4XYJv4

— Chris Geidner (@chrisgeidner) March 5, 2017