The chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee did not rule out pursuing an obstruction of justice investigation on Tuesday, saying only that he would speak with the committee’s ranking member to determine the next steps forward.
Ranking Member Dianne Feinstein (D-CA) “says that she wants the Judiciary Committee to investigate potential obstruction of justice,” CNN’s Manu Raju told committee Chair Chuck Grassley (R-IA) in the Senate’s hallways.
“Let me give you a process answer because this is where we are,” Grassley responded. “Sen. Feinstein wanted to talk to me by phone today. I sent word back that I’d like to have her and I sit down face-to-face and we’ll work out all of the subpoenas and all the stuff we have to do in the future and work out a whole program.”
“Are you OK, though, looking into the potential of obstruction of justice? Is that something for your committee?” Raju asked.
“We’re going to leave that to a conversation with Feinstein,” Grassley responded.
Raju was asking about a letter from Feinstein to Grassley on Friday, in which the ranking member urged that the committee “investigate all issues that raise a question of obstruction of justice. These issues should be developed by our legal staff, presented to us, and be subject to full Committee hearings.”
Feinstein focused specifically on fired Acting Attorney General Sally Yates — who warned White House counsel on Jan. 26 and 27 that then-National Security Adviser Michael Flynn had lied about his contacts with the Russian ambassador to the United States and could be blackmailed — and Flynn’s forced resignation on Feb. 13.
On Jan. 27 and Feb. 14, Feinstein noted, citing recent testimony by fired FBI Director James Comey, Trump met with Comey privately to first ask for his loyalty and then to ask him to drop the federal probe into Flynn.
The subpoenas Grassley mentioned could have been a reference to Feinstein’s letter as well. In it, she advised that the committee subpoena Director of National Intelligence Dan Coats and National Security Agency Director Adm. Mike Rogers, if necessary, following their tight-lipped responses to questions from the Senate Intelligence Committee.
Watch Raju’s exchange with Grassley below:
GRASSLEY says he's meeting soon with Feinstein to discuss subpoeanas on Russia, FBI, Comey probes. https://t.co/wgNDVuy29D
— Manu Raju (@mkraju) June 13, 2017
