Trey Gowdy hit back after a demand by top Democrats that the acting attorney general does not interfere with the Robert Mueller investigation.
Gowdy appeared on Fox News on Nov. 7, during which he was shown a clip of Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) arguing that the investigation should not be interfered with, no matter where it goes.
“Our paramount view is that any attorney general, whether [acting Attorney General Matt Whitaker] or another one, should not be able to interfere with the Mueller investigation in any way,” Schumer declared at a recent press conference. “They should not be able to end it, they should not be able to limit it, they should not be able to interfere with Mueller going forward.”
But Rep. Gowdy (R-S.C.), a former federal prosecutor who is moving out of public office at the end of the year to pursue a legal career, noted that Mueller’s investigation does have limits, contrary to what Schumer thinks.
“Every prosecutor has jurisdictional boundaries. I don’t know a single prosecutor that does not. And Mueller’s jurisdictional boundaries were set by [Deputy Attorney General] Rod Rosenstein,” Gowdy said.
After then-Attorney General Jeff Sessions recused himself from the investigation into alleged Russian interference of the 2016 election, Rosenstein appointed Mueller and technically oversees the investigation. In his appointment order, Rosenstein granted Mueller the authority to investigate “any matters that arose or may arise directly from the investigation,” reported The Epoch Times.
“There’s never been a prosecutor that just had unfettered power to go investigate whatever the heck he or she wanted to do,” Gowdy added. “If you’re a state prosecutor, you can’t investigate federal crimes. If you’re in New York, you can’t investigate things in Idaho. So the notion that we’re going to create a special council that has no boss, no jurisdictional restrictions at all is just typical Chuck Schumer.”
Matthew G. Whitaker is a highly respected former U.S. Attorney from Iowa. He was chosen by Jeff Sessions to be his Chief of Staff. I did not know Mr. Whitaker. Likewise, as Chief, I did not know Mr. Whitaker except primarily as he traveled with A.G. Sessions. No social contact…
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) November 10, 2018
….Mr. Whitaker is very highly thought of by @SenJoniErnst, Senator @ChuckGrassley, Ambassador @TerryBranstad, Leonard Leo of Federalist Society, and many more. I feel certain he will make an outstanding Acting Attorney General!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) November 10, 2018
Whitaker to Become Attorney General
Whitaker was moved to acting Attorney General after Sessions submitted his resignation to President Donald Trump.
Trump said on Nov. 9, that Whitaker “is a highly respected former U.S. Attorney from Iowa.”
“He was chosen by Jeff Sessions to be his Chief of Staff. I did not know Mr. Whitaker. Likewise, as Chief, I did not know Mr. Whitaker except primarily as he traveled with A.G. Sessions. No social contact,” Trump said via Twitter.
“Mr. Whitaker is very highly thought of by Sen. Joni Ernst (R-Iowa), Senator Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa), Ambassador Terry Branstad, Leonard Leo of Federalist Society, and many more. I feel certain he will make an outstanding Acting Attorney General!”
From NTD News
