Acting Attorney General Matthew Whitaker said he has not spoken with President Trump or top White House officials about the ongoing special counsel’s investigation into Russian meddling in the 2016 election.
“To answer your question, I have not talked to the president of the United States about the special’s counsel investigation,” Whitaker told the House Judiciary Committee on Friday in response to a question from Chairman Jerrold Nadler, D-N.Y. “I have not talked about the special counsel’s investigation with senior White House officials.”
Whitaker appeared before the House panel for a hearing on oversight of the Justice Department. He took over as acting attorney general in November after former Attorney General Jeff Sessions was fired by Trump.
[Read more: Trump rants against media for coverage of Russia investigations]
He stressed that in his three-month tenure leading the Justice Department, the White House has not asked for, nor has he made, any promises or commitments regarding Mueller’s probe.
“I have not interfered in any way with the special counsel’s investigation,” Whitaker said.
The acting attorney general has come under fire for past comments about Mueller’s probe, as well as his decision not to recuse himself from overseeing the investigation.
