Acting Attorney General Matthew Whitaker says he won’t interfere with special counsel Robert Mueller’s investigation into President Trump’s alleged ties to Russia.
Whitaker told South Carolina Republican Sen. Lindsey Graham during a meeting Thursday that the probe into Russian interference in the 2016 election would be allowed to proceed, according to a source who spoke to the Associated Press.
A bipartisan group of senators is pushing legislation that will protect Mueller’s job. They fear Whitaker’s past criticisms of the investigation that is looking into possible collusion between Russia and the Trump campaign mean he might act to thwart Mueller’s work.
President Trump appointed Whitaker as the acting attorney general last week after he fired Jeff Sessions a day after the 2018 midterm elections.
Democrats have called on Whitaker to recuse himself from overseeing the investigation, but Graham, a member of the Judiciary Committee, said over the weekend that wouldn’t be necessary.
“I think [Whitaker] was appropriately appointed, legally,” Graham said on Sunday. “I don’t think he has to recuse himself.”
Arizona Republican Sen. Jeff Flake said Wednesday he would not support any more of Trump’s judicial nominees until there was a vote on legislation to protect Mueller.
This week, a Justice Department spokeswoman said Whitaker will follow protocols and consult with senior ethics officials “on his oversight responsibilities and matters that may warrant recusal.”
