A Democrat on the House Intelligence Committee said Saturday that newly announced acting Attorney General Matthew Whitaker was “hired to be an assassin” to take out special counsel Robert Mueller’s Russia investigation.
“He was hired to be an assassin and to take it out,” Rep. Eric Swalwell, D-Calif., said on CNN. He then commented on how Democrats are emboldened after their strong midterms performance on Tuesday, giving them command of the House next year.
“But that’s not happening. … The American people spoke at the polls when they elected a majority in Congress that will be a check on abuses of power in Washington,” he added.
“He was hired to be an assassin and to take it out (the Mueller probe). But that’s not happening. … The American people spoke at the polls when they elected a majority in congress that will be a check on power in Washington.” @RepSwalwell on acting-AG Matt Whitaker. pic.twitter.com/4YWwO1U9dt
— Ana Cabrera (@AnaCabrera) November 10, 2018
With the GOP losing grip on power in the lower chamber, Intel ranking Democrat Adam Schiff, D-Calif., is poised to become chairman and has already indicated an eagerness to make moves to protecting the Mueller investigation.
President Trump announced Wednesday that Attorney General Jeff Sessions had resigned and would be replaced by Whitaker, Sessions’ chief of staff.
As a stand-in for Sessions, Whitaker will have oversight of special counsel Mueller’s inquiry. But he has faced criticism for past comments he made about Mueller and the scope of the inquiry, and has been pressured to recuse himself from overseeing the probe.
Trump has pushed back against criticism related to whether he has a cozy relationship with Whitaker, changing his tune on whether he knows the man.
