Rep. Trey Gowdy (R-SC), a member of the House Judiciary Committee, on Wednesday said he does not think the “threshold” has been met to appoint a special counsel to look into matters related to Hillary Clinton and the Democratic Party.
“You can investigate something without special counsel,” Gowdy said on Fox News. “There is a threshold that has to be met, and I don’t think it has been met.”
During a House Judiciary hearing on Tuesday, Rep. Jim Jordan (R-OH) grilled Attorney General Jeff Sessions about what it would take to get a special counsel investigation into the so-called Trump dossier and various Clinton-related accusations.
Sessions on Tuesday pushed back, and told Jordan that there must be a “factual basis” to appoint a special counsel.
“‘Looks like’ is not enough basis to appoint a special counsel,” Sessions said. “You can have your idea, but sometimes we have to study what the facts are and to evaluate whether it meets the standard that requires a special counsel.”
Gowdy said he did not sign a letter Republican lawmakers sent Sessions asking for a special counsel’s appointment to investigate those matters.
“Jim Jordan is a great friend. I have tremendous respect for him. I didn’t sign the letter, because I don’t think the threshold has been met for an appointment of special counsel,” he said. “To say we’re not going to appoint special counsel is not to say we aren’t going to look into anything.”
