REP LIEU STATEMENT ON PRESIDENT TRUMP FIRING ATTORNEY GENERAL JEFF SESSIONS
LOS ANGELES - Today, Congressman Ted W. Lieu (D-Los Angeles County) issued the following statement after Attorney General Jeff Sessions announced that President Trump has asked for his resignation.
"Jeff Sessions has been a faithful foot solider for Trump's harmful immigration and anti-civil rights agenda at the Department of Justice. But Trump hated that the Attorney General recused himself from overseeing Special Counsel Mueller's investigation and he publicly chastised Sessions because of it. This is a slow-motion Saturday night massacre. Congress and the American people deserve answers.
Chiefly, Members of the Judiciary Committee need to be briefed on why this action is taking place and why now. It appears that this is a clear effort to bypass Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein, who is currently overseeing the Trump-Russia investigation due to Sessions' recusal. If the President removed Sessions in order to stop or hinder Mueller's investigation, that would constitute obstruction of justice.
Based on Matthew Whitaker's public statements regarding the Special Counsel's investigation I believe he should recuse himself from the investigation as Attorney General Sessions did. At a minimum, Congress needs to have assurances from the new Acting Attorney General and any future Senate-confirmed Attorney General that he or she will inform Congress if they intend to change or reduce the scope of Mueller's investigation."
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