Jeffries says he hopes former SDNY attorney will testify before Congress ‘because I think he has a lot to say’

Rep. Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.) said Sunday he hopes that former Southern District of New York U.S. Attorney Geoff Berman will testify before Congress “because I think he has a lot to say.”

Jeffries told ABC’s “This Week” that he wants Berman to speak in front of the House Judiciary Committee following his Saturday firing by President Trump and Attorney General William Barr. 

“I think he has a lot to say about a continuing pattern of chaos, crisis and corruption that we have seen from the Trump administration from the very beginning until this very day,” Jeffries said.

The Justice Department initially announced on Friday Berman was “stepping down” from his position Friday, but Berman refuted that saying he would not step down without a Senate-confirmed replacement. 

After Berman said he would not resign, Barr asked Trump to officially fire him and Berman was removed from his position on Saturday.

Rep. Hakeem Jeffries says he hopes former U.S. attorney for SDNY Geoffrey Berman will testify before Congress “because I think he has a lot to say about a continuing pattern of chaos, crisis and corruption that we have seen from the Trump administration.” https://t.co/n0lcA5Reyx pic.twitter.com/pb6R8pIz2q

— This Week (@ThisWeekABC) June 21, 2020

Jeffries said House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jerrold Nadler (D-N.Y.) and Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) support a hearing on alleged “political interference” between the White House and the Justice Department. Nadler announced the committee’s intention to investigate on Saturday.

“We have a long tradition in this country of there being no political interference between the White House and the Department of Justice,” he said, alleging the president was disturbing it. 

Berman’s office has been investigating Trump’s personal lawyer Rudy Giuliani and had prosecuted his former lawyer Michael Cohen, among other presidential associates.