[inaudible conversation] before we have our Opening Statements for this hearing, i have a short statement i want to make on another issue. If mrs. Feinstein has anything on the same thing im talking about, she would get whatever time she wants. Separate from my regular opening statement, i need to talk about a serious threat to this committees Oversight Authority. The need for congress to havee access to information in the executive branch is inherent in the constitution. The Supreme Court has said so clearly and repeatedly. Executive Branch Agencies cannot limit our legislative power of inquiry mary merely by entering into nondisclosure agreements with one another, but thats exactly what the fbi has tried to do. Yesterday i sent a pair of letters to the office of special counsel and the fbi about the most recent example. P nondisclosure agreements are essentially gag orders, plain and simple. They thwart transparency, corner jim account ability and seek to obstruct congressional overs
Senate judiciary committee, senator diane feinstein. What exactly did President Trump tell you was his reason for firing director comey . I know he has said he thought the department was a mess and he asked you and mr. Rosenstein to take a look at it. And my understanding was these two letters were presented. The letter from you dated may 9th, and the letter from rosenstein dated the same date, a response to that request to take a look at the department. Thats what i can tell you. He did ask for our written opinion, and we submitted that to him. It did not represent any change in either one of ours opinion as he as Deputy Rosenstein has also indicated, i believe. And we were asked to provide it, and we did. Did the president ever mention to you his concern about lifting the cloud on the russia investigation . Senator feinstein, that calls for a communication that i have had with the president , and i believe it remains confidential. But you dont deny that there was a communication . I
Trump tell you was his reason for firing director comey . I know he has said he thought the department was a mess and he asked you and mr. Rosenstein to take a look at it and my understanding was these two letters were presented, the letter from you dated may 9th and the letter from rosenstein dated the same date, a response to that request to take a look at the department. Thats what i can tell you. He did ask for our written opinion and we submitted that to him. It did not represent any change in either one of our opinion as Deputy Rosenstein is also indicated i believe and we were asked to provide it and we did. Did the president ever mention to you his concern about lifting the cloud on the russia investigation . Senator feinstein, that calls for a communication that ive had with the president and i believe it remains confidential. But you dont deny there was a communication. I do not confirm or deny any communication between the president that i consider to be confidential. When d
Because the president himself has talked about it and revealed that letter. I asked Deputy Rosenstein and make a recommendation in writing. We prepared those and submitted it to the president. , i dont thinkin it has been fully understood the significance of the error mr. Comey made on the clinton matter. For the first time im aware of and all of my experience, i dont think ive heard of the situation in which a major case in which the department of justice prosecutors were in an investigation, the Investigative Agency announces the closure of the investigation. A few weeks before this happened he was testifying before the congress and he said he thought he did the right thing and would do it again. The Deputy Attorney general rosenstein, 27 years in the department of justice, harvard graduate must serve for eight years under president obama, and four years under president bush, he said that was a usurpation of the position of the department of justice. Particularly we were concerned th
[gavel pounding] [indiscernible] attorney general sessions, welcome. For all the people in the audience, we welcome you as well. Think general set thank general sessions were being here that attorney general sessions were being here for the oversight hearing. His is an opportunity for congress to investigate and question the policies and actions of any executive branch. It is an opportunity for the executive branch to take any of thosey for policies and actions, and an toortunity for congress defend its constitutional powers and check any abuses by an overreaching executive branch, and it has been that way for 230 years. That wee complained have not had an oversight hearing with this attorney general earlier. Was that for deferring the attorney general should have his team in place before appearing before us. Certainly, attorney general holder and attorney general did have their respective teams well in place by the time they appeared here as you are now here. The other side has been b