Page 736 - Commitments News Today

>> the committee will come to -- i will point out we didnt enforce the five minute rule on acting attorney general whitaker. >> he denied any conversations with the president or other white house officials about the special counsels investigation which whitaker oversees either before or after he took over the top spot at the doj. >> at no time has the white house asked for nor have i provided any promises or commitments concerning the special counsels investigation or any other investigation. >>...

Bobbing and weaving, refusing to answer questions about his conversations with the president about cohen. >> mr. lieu asked you if you ever communicated with president trump about investigations in the southern district of new york. instead of answering, you referred him back to your statement, referred him back to what was written for you. but all you said is that you didnt make any -- your statement, that you didnt make any promises or commitments to president trump. i want to know whether you...

>> the committee will come to -- i will point out we didnt enforce the five-minute rule on acting attorney general whitaker. >> reporter: whitaker denies any conversations with the president or other white house officials about the special counsels investigation, which whitaker overseas before or after he took over the top spot at the doj. >> at no time has the white house asked for nor have i promised any promises or commitments concerning the special counsels investigation or any other investi...

>> okay. >> sir, answer the question yes or no. did the president lash out to you about mr. cohens guilty plea? >> no, he did not. >> i want to know whether you talked to president trump at all about the southern district of new yorks case involving michael cohen. >> congresswoman, as ive mentioned several times today, i am not going to discuss my private conversations with the president of the united states. >> okay. so that was key, don, because thats completely inconsistent from what we heard...

To end the five minute rule. >> the committee point out, we didnt enforce it on acting attorney general whitker. >> reporter: he denied the special counsels investigation which whitker oversees after taking over for the doj. >> at no time have i promised commitments regarding the special counsels investigation. >> yes or no question. have you communicated anything you learned about the investigation to president trump? yes or no. >> mr. chairman, as i have said earlier today in my opening remark...

But a little later the acting a.g. was back to the same old bobbing and weaving, refusing to answer questions about his conversations with the president about cohen. >> mr. lieu asked you if you ever communicated with president trump about investigations in the southern district of new york. instead of answering, you referred him back to your statement, referred him back to what was written for you. but all you said is that you didnt make any -- your statement, that you didnt make any promises o...

Who are you? where did you come from, and how the heck did you become the head of the department of justice. >> for a large part of the day, things continued about like that, democrats tried to keep the focus squarely on whitakers handling of the mueller investigation which remember he had prejudged and criticized before getting this job. >> have you been briefed on criminal or counter intelligence matters within this special counsels per view. >> thank you for that question. as you know, i cann...

Handling of the mueller investigation which remember he had prejudged and criticized before getting this job. >> have you been briefed on criminal or counter intelligence matters within this special counsels per view. >> thank you for that question. as you know, i cannot talk about on going investigations. >> you can say whether youve been briefed or not. >> i have been briefed on it. >> have you communicated anything, you learned in that briefing about the investigation to president trump? yes ...

For their part republicans now in the minority tried to adjourn the hearing before it even began. >> well have plenty of three t thatrics. its becoming a show. >> the acting attorney general did say he has not diskued the special counsel investigation with the president or made any promises or commitments. whitaker refused to say whether or not he believed the mueller probe was a witch hunt. >> the acting attorney generals first into a congressional committee room igniting tensions and highlight...

Matter experts for federal prosecutors and investigators nationwide while working with the fbi at the strategic information and operation center. over my time, i have done everything in my power to continue regular order at the department of justice. the department has continued to make its law enforcement decisions based upon the facts and the law of each individual case in accordance with established department practices and independent of any outside interference. at no time has the white hou...