Staffers admit the Senate Judiciary Committee is not actually investigating possible ties between the Trump campaign and Russia, despite holding hearings and interviewing witnesses.
Senators questioned Donald Trump Jr. last month behind closed doors, and they have promised to bring him back for a public hearing, but they still haven't followed through on a promise to interview former Trump campaign chair Paul Manafort, reported The Daily Beast.
An aide for a Democratic senator told the website the committee's main focus was on whether President Donald Trump or his aides had engaged in obstruction of justice by firing former FBI director James Comey.
But an aide for the judiciary committee chairman, Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-IA), admitted his boss was focused only on routine oversight of the FBI.
“The Judiciary Committee is not running a comprehensive Trump/Russia investigation,” the staffer told The Daily Beast. “Intel matters are the purview of the Intelligence Committees. The Judiciary Committee is engaged in the DOJ oversight for which it’s responsible and related issues that intersect with the Russian meddling in our democratic system.”
Grassley has asked new FBI director Christopher Wray to turn over documents related to Comey's investigation of Hillary Clinton's emails, and he appears more concerned that the FBI could have helped Trump avoid the political troubles he's facing over Russia.
“The American people need to be able to trust that the FBI and Justice Department are operating free from political influence,” the staffer said. “That’s what this investigation is about, and we will follow the facts wherever they lead.”
