House Oversight and Government Reform Committee Chairman Jason Chaffetz is sticking to a plan to launch an inquiry that could target former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, despite House leaders’ reported orders for Chaffetz to back off.
The committee “has jurisdiction on the Federal Records Act as well as FOIA,” Chaffetz told the Washington Examiner Friday at an event for Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., in Derry, N.H., Friday, explaining that he wants to continue examining compliance with the law. Chaffetz has endorsed Rubio’s presidential bid.
Chaffetz, a Utah Republican, previously said his panel’s probe would cover ground including Clinton’s use of a private email account and server while she was secretary of state.
“Of course, we are going to continue to look at that,” he said Friday. “We are not targeting one individual, but we have a duty and an obligation to make sure people are actually complying with the law.”
Politico reported Thursday that House Speaker Paul Ryan, R-Wis., and House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., have repeatedly told Chaffetz not to proceed with an investigation that involves Clinton. That prohibition includes even a broad investigation of federal recordkeeping like the one Chaffetz has mentioned, according to the report.
Sensitive to charges that various House investigations of Clinton amounted to partisan fishing expeditions aimed at damaging her campaign, Ryan and McCarthy have indicated they prefer during the election year to leave review of the email matter to the Justice Department.
Chaffetz declined Friday to say if he thinks Clinton will be indicted. “I want the FBI to do its job and complete its investigation,” he said. “Hopefully they can do that sooner rather than later. It’s not fair to her and its not fair to rest of the country.”
