Acting Attorney General Matthew Whitaker testified before lawmakers Friday that he “has not” discussed special counsel Robert Mueller’s Russia probe with President Donald Trump.
Whitaker has overseen Mueller’s investigation into Russia’s meddling in the 2016 election and possible collusion with the Trump campaign. Democrats have expressed concern with Trump’s appointment of Whitaker, citing his criticisms of the special counsel in an op-ed and on television. The interim appointment without Senate confirmation raised fears that the Mueller’s ongoing probe, which Trump has frequently excoriated as a “witch hunt,” could be undermined.
“I have not talked to the president of the United States about the special counsel investigation,” Whitaker told the House Judiciary Committee in response to a question by committee Chairman Jerrold Nadler, D-N.Y.
