California Democratic Rep. Adam Schiff said on Sunday he expected Democrats would bring in acting Attorney General Matthew Whitaker for testimony about any actions he might be taking with regards to the Mueller investigation.
“We are going to bring Whitaker before the Congress, assuming he’s still in his position at the time when Democrats take over,” Schiff said on CNN’s “State of the Union.”
He continued, “We may bring him in whether he’s in that position or not to find out the answers to these questions.”
Schiff said Whitaker was not telling Congress how he was handling oversight of the special counsel investigation led by former FBI Director Robert Mueller and pledged to find out.
Schiff is expected to lead the House Intelligence Committee once the newly-elected Democratic majority takes control of the House in January. New York Democratic Rep. Jerry Nadler, who is expected to lead the House Judiciary Committee, previously told CNN that his “very first witness” would be Whitaker.
President Donald Trump named Whitaker the acting head of the Justice Department when he ousted Attorney General Jeff Sessions earlier this month. Whitaker has been critical in the past of the Mueller probe, including as a CNN legal commentator.
Schiff has cited Whitaker’s past comments as cause for concern, and last week, Trump referred to him on Twitter as “little Adam Schitt” after the congressman said the interim appointment was invalid because Whitaker had not received Senate confirmation.
