Whitaker: I Would ‘Most Likely’ Contact FBI If Foreigner Promised Campaign Dirt

WASHINGTON, DC - FEBRUARY 08: Acting U.S. Attorney General Matthew Whitaker testifies before the House Judiciary Committee in the Rayburn House Office Building on Capitol Hill February 08, 2019 in Washington, DC. Fol... WASHINGTON, DC - FEBRUARY 08: Acting U.S. Attorney General Matthew Whitaker testifies before the House Judiciary Committee in the Rayburn House Office Building on Capitol Hill February 08, 2019 in Washington, DC. Following a subpoena fight between committee Chairman Jerrold Nadler (D-NY) and the Justice Department, Whitaker was questioned about his oversight of special counsel Robert Mueller's investigation into Russian meddling in the 2016 presidential election. (Photo by Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images) MORE LESS
Start your day with TPM.
Sign up for the Morning Memo newsletter

Acting Attorney General Matt Whitaker said Friday at a House Judiciary Committee hearing that he would “most likely” contact the FBI if he was a political candidate and a foreign national offered him dirt on his opponent.

Whitaker said he was hedging his answer because he has never been in such a situation so it was hard for him to answer it as a hypothetical.

The question, from Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee (D-TX), appeared to be a reference to the infamous 2016 Trump Tower meeting between Russians and members of then-candidate Trump’s inner circle.

Latest Muckraker

Notable Replies

  1. Is there another choice?

  2. “Then again, I might not.”

  3. Avatar for dont dont says:

    “Most likely”? WTF. This clown was a US Attorney? WTF.

  4. Caught that, too. Said out loud, “MOST LIKELY?!” Gal a couple cubes over asked me if I was talking to her. To quote our illustrious Energy Secretary, “Oops.”

  5. What about kompromat?

Continue the discussion at forums.talkingpointsmemo.com

19 more replies

Participants

Avatar for system1 Avatar for ajoguy Avatar for ichthus Avatar for clunkertruck Avatar for spiderpig Avatar for epicurus Avatar for steviedee111 Avatar for irasdad Avatar for DuckmanGR Avatar for dont Avatar for callmeeric Avatar for billfrompa Avatar for ralph_vonholst Avatar for esva Avatar for vlharpley Avatar for citytrucker Avatar for texacali Avatar for tsp Avatar for rickjones Avatar for rascal_crone Avatar for emiliano4

Continue Discussion
Masthead Masthead
Founder & Editor-in-Chief:
Executive Editor:
Managing Editor:
Associate Editor:
Editor at Large:
General Counsel:
Publisher:
Head of Product:
Director of Technology:
Associate Publisher:
Front End Developer:
Senior Designer: