Acting Attorney General Matthew Whitaker will not recuse himself from his oversight role of Special Counsel Robert Mueller’s investigation into the bogus Trump-Russia collusion allegations.
Fox News reports:
A source familiar with the matter told Fox News on Thursday that Whitaker met with Justice Department ethics officials this week, who told him he was not precluded from overseeing Mueller’s investigation into Russian meddling and potential collusion with Trump campaign associates during the 2016 presidential election.
Democrats have been fighting tooth and nail to get Whitaker to recuse himself from overseeing the investigation because he had been publicly critical of Mueller’s probe in the past.
Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-NY) said Whitaker as acting attorney general would create a “constitutional crisis.” He told CNN, “The appointment of Mr. Whitaker should concern every American. If he stays there, he will create a constitutional crisis by inhibiting Mueller or firing Mueller.”
In November, despite Democrats’ best efforts, even Robert Mueller acknowledged Whitaker’s appointment as acting attorney general would have no impact on his investigation.
Mueller’s top attorney, Michael Dreeben stated in a 17-page legal brief that Whitaker’s new role “neither alters the special counsel’s authority to represent the United States nor raises any jurisdictional issue.”
Dreeben continued, “The Special Counsel continues to exercise the same authority, and the jurisdiction of the district court and this Court is intact.”
