Acting Attorney General Matthew Whitaker has told associates that he won’t reduce special counsel Robert Mueller’s budget, as he previously suggested, a source told Bloomberg.
Whitaker, who took over the role last week when former Attorney General Jeff Sessions was ousted, has reportedly said he will allow Mueller’s investigation into Russian interference to move forward. His appointment raised alarms among Democrats and a few Republicans who expressed concern about his past statements about the investigation.
{mosads}Whitaker has come under scrutiny since his appointment for opinion pieces he wrote for The Hill and CNN advocating for curbing the scope of the Mueller investigation, and suggesting stifling its funding. He penned both pieces prior to joining the Department of Justice as chief of staff to Sessions.
Skeptics of any such effort by Whitaker to cut funding have noted that Mueller’s budget for fiscal year 2019 has already been approved.
President Trump fired Sessions last week and named Whitaker as his temporary replacement. Democrats and legal experts have questioned the legality of Whitaker’s appointments, noting that he was not confirmed by the Senate and questioning his qualifications.
Rep. Jerrold Nadler (D-N.Y.), likely the incoming chairman of the House Judiciary Committee, signaled on Sunday he would call on Whitaker to appear before lawmakers to answer questions about his appointment.
“Our very first witness on — after Jan. 3 — we will subpoena … or we will summon — if necessary, subpoena, Mr. Whitaker,” Nadler said on CNN’s “State of the Union.”
Rep. Adam Schiff (D-Calif.), the expected chairman of the House Intelligence Committee in the next session of Congress, added in a separate interview on Sunday that Democrats will hold Whitaker accountable if he attempts to interfere with the Mueller investigation at all.