Acting Attorney General Matthew Whitaker spent his day dodging heat-seeking questions from the House Judiciary Committee, as one of the first Trump officials to face the new era of accountability with a Democratic Congress.
In between bouts of rudeness, Whitaker spent the day dodging oversight questions from Democratic lawmakers—and left many important question marks in his wake:
- We don’t know what (if any) restrictions Whitaker has placed on Mueller’s investigation.
- We don’t know if Whitaker considers the Mueller probe a “witch hunt.” Whitaker claimed that he wouldn’t answer that question about an ongoing investigation. It’s worth nothing that Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein had no trouble stating clearly that “The special counsel investigation is not a witch hunt.”
- We also don’t know if Whitaker spoke with President Trump or White House senior staff when he was former AG Jeff Sessions’ chief of staff, including any directions they gave him just before he was promoted, or whether he was backchanneling with Trump all along.
It’s no mystery why Whitaker was chosen as acting Attorney General. He has a history of negative stances on the Mueller probe, and came ready-made to be Trump’s protector/puppet at the DOJ without requiring Senate confirmation.
Now, finally, House Democrats are taking the Trump administration’s corruption to task. Chairman Jerrold Nadler (D, NY-10) put it plainly today: “The time for this administration to postpone accountability is over.”
We’ll leave you for the weekend with a quote from Rep. Hakeem Jeffries (D, NY-8) directly to the Acting Attorney General:
“The investigation into Russia’s attack on our democracy isn’t a witch hunt. It’s not a hoax. It’s not a lynch mob. It is a national security imperative. That people say otherwise comes close to providing aid and comfort to the enemy.”
KAVANAUGH DECLARES WAR ON ROE.
It only took four months on the Supreme Court for Brett Kavanaugh to declare war on Roe v. Wade.
Yesterday, the U.S. Supreme Court narrowly blocked a Targeted Regulation of Abortion Providers (TRAP) law from going into effect that would have forced multiple abortion clinics in the state of Louisiana to close. Both of Trump’s conservative Justices, Kavanaugh and Neil Gorsuch, chose not to honor existing Supreme Court precedent that would prevent these closures. There are only three abortion clinics in Louisiana, and this law could leave just one doctor in one clinic for the entire state, making abortion practically inaccessible to thousands of women.
Don’t tell us you’re surprised, Susan Collins. Do everyone a favor and spare us the political theatre. Kavanaugh and Gorsuch lied to the American people when they said they wouldn’t go after abortion rights, but their records were clear. Republicans knew this would happen, and they confirmed them anyways.
Be on the lookout for a Kavanaugh clone coming soon to a courthouse near you! Senate Republicans and the Trump administration are in a crusade to further Trumpify the federal courts and roll back our civil and human rights. Just yesterday, the Senate Judiciary Committee advanced another 44 judicial nominees with extreme records one step closer to lifetime appointments.
If the Supreme Court upholds the Louisiana law, Justices Kavanaugh and Gorsuch— and those who voted to confirm them—will be responsible. And Senator Susan Collins is up for election in less than two years.
REST EASY, DEAN DINGELL.
The longest serving Member of Congress, John Dingell (D, MI), passed away yesterday leaving behind a long progressive legacy. He was a fierce champion for veterans, civil rights, the environment, universal health care, and maybe most notably was the embodiment of Congress’s responsibility to check and balance the executive branch. Thankfully we will always have his tweets.