Attorney General William Barr isn’t likely to show up to Thursday’s House Judiciary Committee Hearing after chairman Jerrold Nadler (D-NY) proposed a format change.
According to Fox News, Nadler wants Judiciary Committee staff to question Barr instead of members of Congress, prompting the Department of Justice to push back.
“The attorney general agreed to appear before Congress; therefore Congress does the questioning,” a DOJ official told Fox News.
A Democratic senior committee aide told The Associated Press that DOJ officials are also opposed to the committee’s plan to enter a closed session if members wish to discuss redacted portions of Mueller’s report.
“Attorney General Barr wasn’t asked to testify before the committee—he offered,” a Republican House Judiciary Committee spokesman told Fox News. “He provided the Mueller report voluntarily. He invited Democrat leaders to view the less redacted report in person. Yet the only thing, apparently, that will satisfy Democrats, who refuse to read the less redacted report, is to have staff pinch hit when a cabinet-level official appears before us.”
The spokesperson continued, “What actual precedent is there for our committee making such demands of a sitting attorney general as part of our oversight duties? The attorney general isn’t a fact witness, and this committee’s investigations—as Democrat leadership reminds us daily—don’t constitute impeachment, so Democrats have yet to prove their demands anything but abusive and illogical in light of the transparency and good faith the attorney general has shown our committee.”
Fox reports that discussions surrounding Thursday’s hearing are ongoing and expected to continue on Monday. Barr is scheduled to testify before the Senate Judiciary Committee on Wednesday and is expected to undergo normal questioning from committee members.
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