On Thursday, Attorney General Jeff Sessions revealed the identity of a ‘top federal prosecutor,’ investigating alleged abuses by the Justice Department and FBI. In addition, Sessions said he believes a second special counsel is not required at this time.
Attorney General Jeff Sessions says for now, there won't be a second special counsel for evaluating alleged FBI, DOJ wrongdoing. @edhenry has the story. #SpecialReport https://t.co/VCJIsovITK pic.twitter.com/KvInVFG5gD
— Fox News (@FoxNews) March 29, 2018
Sessions, in letter to Goodlatte, Gowdy, and Grassley, says he has concluded that the circumstances don't justify the appointment of a second special counsel to investigate FBI misconduct. How will Trump take this? https://t.co/5bIcW5bmdK pic.twitter.com/TcuEoljsIO
— Natasha Bertrand (@NatashaBertrand) March 29, 2018
The Hill reports:
Attorney General Jeff Sessions said Thursday that a top federal prosecutor has been examining issues within the Department of Justice (DOJ), but has determined there is no need to appoint a second special counsel at this time.
CNN first reported Thursday that John Huber, the federal prosecutor in Utah, has been investigating Republicans’ allegations that the FBI abused a surveillance program against a former Trump campaign adviser.
Huber has also been looking at whether the FBI should have more thoroughly probed Hillary Clinton‘s ties to Uranium One, a Russian nuclear energy agency.
Sessions made the revelation in a letter to GOP committee chairmen Chuck Grassley(Iowa), Bob Goodlatte (Va.) and Trey Gowdy (S.C.)
Reacting to the news, Judicial Watch president Tom Fitton called Sessions’ announcement a “major fail,” by the Justice Department.
“Major fail from DOJ! AG Sessions writes he tasked a lawyer to investigate whether to investigate the Clinton/Obama abuses! No wonder @RealDonaldTrump is frustrated,” Fitton tweeted.
Major fail from DOJ! AG Sessions writes he tasked a lawyer to investigate whether to investigate the Clinton/Obama abuses! No wonder @RealDonaldTrump is frustrated. https://t.co/p7N2YdCfZP
— Tom Fitton (@TomFitton) March 29, 2018
Rep. Mark Meadows tweeted his displeasure with Sessions’ decision.
“So the Obama DOJ can open a legally questionable investigation into the Trump campaign—allegedly based on a campaign volunteer mouthing off at a London bar—but this DOJ can’t appoint a second special counsel after all the troubling documents we’ve seen?”
So the Obama DOJ can open a legally questionable investigation into the Trump campaign—allegedly based on a campaign volunteer mouthing off at a London bar—but this DOJ can’t appoint a second special counsel after all the troubling documents we’ve seen?
Disappointing
— Mark Meadows (@MarkMeadows) March 29, 2018
The Washington Examiner’s Byron York revealed some lawmakers think Huber acting as a quasi-special counsel is a “joke.”
“Jeff Sessions says no to second special counsel to investigate Trump-Russia investigation, but appoints USAttorney in Utah to lead a kinda/sorta special investigation inside DOJ. Critics in House unhappy. ‘A farce,’ says one. ‘A joke,’ says another. Others holding fire, for now,” York tweeted.
Jeff Sessions says no to second special counsel to investigate Trump-Russia investigation, but appoints USAttorney in Utah to lead a kinda/sorta special investigation inside DOJ. Critics in House unhappy. 'A farce,' says one. 'A joke,' says another. Others holding fire, for now.
— Byron York (@ByronYork) March 29, 2018
