The top Democrat on the House Intelligence Committee Sunday called said the facts for recusal of Acting Attorney General Matthew Whitaker in the Russia probe by special counsel Robert Mueller “are very strong.”
In an interview on NBC News’ “Meet The Press” Schiff explained a letter sent to the Justice Department’s ethics department advocating for Whitaker’s recusal.
"It seems to me the facts for recusal are very strong here," Schiff said. "This is someone who's made repeated and prejudicial comments against the investigation, someone who has made false statements about it, claiming that the Russians really had no impact on our election. It's someone who has a relationship with one of the important witnesses in the investigation."
Schiff said if Whitaker doesn’t recuse himself, House Democrats will use their new majority clout in the lower chamber to press him on any role he plays in influencing the investigation.
"If he has any involvement whatsoever in this Russia probe, we are going to find out whether he made commitments to the president about the probe, whether he is serving as a back channel to the president or his lawyers about the probe, whether he's doing anything to interfere with the probe," Schiff said. "Mr. Whitaker needs to understand that he will be called to answer."
Trump appointed Whitaker last Wednesday to take over for former Attorney General Jeff Sessions — and has previously written an opinion piece that advocates curbing the scope of the Mueller investigation.
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