There will likely be more revelations of bias and improper conduct by the Department of Justice, Rep. Trey Gowdy said Thursday, and he wants to know how the department and the FBI will restore Americans' confidence.
"I think there will be other revelations of bias, prejudice, and improper conduct on behalf of the Department of Justice," the South Carolina Republican, who heads the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee, told Fox News' "America's Newsroom." He spoke before his committee and heard statements by FBI Director Christopher Wray.
"My first question to him is, what will you do to repair not only Congress' trust, but the American people's trust in that blindfolded woman holding a set of scales," Gowdy said.
President Donald Trump has said the FBI's reputation is in tatters, noted show host Bill Hemmer, but Gowdy said he does not agree with that.
"I work with line agents, the line women back in South Carolina and other states," Gowdy said. "Their reputation is not in tatters. They're the kind of people we want working in our Justice Department."
However, the "higher ups have had a really bad two years," he continued. "Right now the American people aren't focused on the great agents in South Carolina. They're focused on [James] Comey and [Andrew] McCabe and now Wray."
Gowdy also said he does not think Congress should have to fight with the FBI to access information it is entitled to possess.
"We should not have to threaten contempt of Congress," he said. "I don't want the drama of a contempt of Congress floor fight. I want to information to do our jobs, and we shouldn't have to fight with the Department of Justice to access that information."
Gowdy also spoke about testimony offered by President Donald Trump's son, Donald Jr., to his committee, saying that he does not think the younger Trump did anything wrong.
"Differing minds can quibble whether or not you should accept an offer to provide research," he said. "Keep in mind the Democratic National Committee was paying $10 million to do research on Trump. The only difference is we don't have an email. Glenn Simpson from Fusion GPS reportedly met with this exact same Russian lawyer before and after Donald Trump Jr. did."
Trump Jr. claimed attorney-client privilege on Wednesday when asked about speaking with his father over the Russia meeting, and Rep. Adam Schiff, D-Calif., argued that should not have been allowed.
"It's funny, Adam does not have a problem when Democrat witnesses cite privilege," Gowdy said. "Apply the same standard to Republican witnesses as you do Democrat witnesses. Maybe then the public would have more confidence in our investigations."
Sandy Fitzgerald ✉
Sandy Fitzgerald has more than three decades in journalism and serves as a general assignment writer for Newsmax covering news, media, and politics.
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