House Oversight, Judiciary GOPers Announce Probe Into DOJ Moves In 2016

Chairman Rep. Trey Gowdy, R-S.C., speaks during a hearing of the House Judiciary Subcommittee on Crime, Terrorism, Homeland Security, and Investigations, on Capitol Hill, Tuesday, April 4, 2017 in Washington. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)
Chairman Rep. Trey Gowdy, R-S.C., speaks during a hearing of the House Judiciary Subcommittee on Crime, Terrorism, Homeland Security, and Investigations, on Capitol Hill, Tuesday, April 4, 2017 in Washington. (AP Pho... Chairman Rep. Trey Gowdy, R-S.C., speaks during a hearing of the House Judiciary Subcommittee on Crime, Terrorism, Homeland Security, and Investigations, on Capitol Hill, Tuesday, April 4, 2017 in Washington. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon) MORE LESS
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The Republican leaders of the House Oversight and Judiciary Committees announced the launch of an investigation into various decisions the Justice Department made during the 2016 campaign, including the FBI’s handing of the Hillary Clinton email inquiry as well as its decision not to make public its ongoing investigation into associates of President Donald Trump.

House Oversight Chair Trey Gowdy (R-SC) and Judiciary Chair Bob Goodlate (R-VA) said in a joint statement that “Congress has a constitutional duty to preserve the integrity of our justice system by ensuring transparency and accountability of actions taken.”

The top Democrats on the committees accused Republicans of engaging in “a massive diversion to distract from the lack of Republican oversight of the Trump Administration and the national security threat that Russia poses,” in a statement issued a few hours after the new probe was announced.

“The Russian government continues to represent a clear and present threat to the United States and our democratic system, and we are the targets of near-constant cyberattacks by foreign adversaries,” Judiciary’s Rep. John Conyers (D-MI) and Oversight’s Rep. Elijah Cummings (D-MD) said in the statement. “Yet House Republicans have taken no concrete steps to secure our next election. Apparently, House Republicans are more concerned about Jim Comey than Vladimir Putin.”

Gowdy and Goodlatte’s investigation comes as the Senate Judiciary Committee, and particularly its chair, Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-IA), has also signaled interest in examining some of the moves the DOJ made during the election.

According to Gowdy and Goodlatte’s press release, the probe will include (but is not limited to) the following questions:

  • FBI’s decision to publicly announce the investigation into Secretary Clinton’s handling of classified information but not to publicly announce the investigation into campaign associates of then-candidate Donald Trump;

  • FBI’s decision to notify Congress by formal letter of the status of the investigation both in October and November of 2016;

  • FBI’s decision to appropriate full decision making in respect to charging or not charging Secretary Clinton to the FBI rather than the DOJ; and

  • FBI’s timeline in respect to charging decisions.

 This post has been updated.
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Notable Replies

  1. I hope justice comes back around to bite Gowdy in the ass.

  2. Avatar for sjk sjk says:

    JFC, how about an investigation in the Niger incident?

  3. I wonder how long it will take for them to force Hillary to testify again as it must be her fault that the FBI did anything regarding the e-mail issue and the election. The airplane visit between Bill Clinton and the AJ set up the whole conspiracy of the FBI actions regarding the election.This time Hillary and Bill will testify together.

  4. “Sittin’ by the dick of the cray, wastin’ time…”

    The House is beyond hope and help. No idea how to govern.

  5. Anyone who thinks Gowdy will be anything other than a political hack for the GOP is to stupid and ignorant to breath air.

    Gowdy and the GOP will use any inquiry to protect Trump and change the subject to attack Democrats at all costs and everyone by now should know it.

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