Lawmakers dispute negotiations between Trump and Whitaker

Former acting Attorney General Matthew Whitaker told the House Judiciary Committee on Wednesday that he is participating in discussions about the Justice Department's investigation into former Donald Trump attorney and repairman, Michael Cohen, according to Panel Chair Jerry Nadler (DN.Y.). ). But the republican part of the committee gave very different accounts of what happened behind closed doors.

Whitaker discussed the scope of the investigation in addition to the recusal of Geoffrey Berman, US attorney for the Southern District of New York, Nadler told the press after a private meeting with Whitaker.

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Two Republican Committee members who were in the room during the interview with Whitaker said the former acting Attorney General told the panel that no one from the White House had asked him to rescind the challenge. of Berman after supervising the Cohen investigation.

"You do not have to cancel the challenges," Whitaker told the committee, according to two GOP lawyers, who added that Mr. Whitaker had stated that he had never had a conversation with people working in the Southern District.

This account seems to challenge a New York Times report Last month, Trump asked Whitaker if Berman could investigate Trump's hidden cash payments to the women who told him a story. Berman, appointed by Trump, has objected to overseeing this investigation.

Nadler also said that Whitaker "does not deny that the president has called him to discuss Michael Cohen, the Michael Cohen case and staff decisions in the southern district".

"He would not say no," Nadler added.

But Republican councils said Whitaker had simply replied that he "did not remember" conversations with Trump about Cohen, but that he "could not say for sure in any way or from another ".

"He would have remembered if the president had expressed his frustration about this case," said one of the GOP's advice. "He does not remember it."

In addition, according to Nadler, Whitaker "was involved in discussions about the scope" of the investigation conducted in New York. Whitaker was also involved in discussions to find out if the Southern District "was going too far in pursuit of the campaign finance inquiry in which the president was on the list" as a "self-1," said Nadler, without naming the other people who participated in these conversations.

Republican councils said Whitaker was simply questioning the "legal theories" surrounding Cohen's election campaign financing, which will go to jail in May to serve a three-year sentence. imprisonment for crimes related to the payment of whispers that he has committed. Trump's name. The lawyers also said that Whitaker had labeled some of the charges in the "specious" case.

Nadler added that Whitaker had also said Wednesday at the committee that he was "directly involved in discussions about the opportunity to fire one or more US lawyers." The Republican panel said Whitaker described the conversations as "personal decisions" made between him and senior members. of his staff.

The president's comments highlight the judicial panel's inquiry into whether the president was obstructing justice by attempting to interfere in ongoing federal investigations. Nadler started an extensive investigation last month on obstruction, abuse of power and corruption.

Whitaker testified publicly last month, refusing to answer questions about his private conversations with the president. He told lawmakers that he had never discussed the investigation of special advocate Robert Mueller with Trump. Prior to joining the Department of Justice as Chief of Staff to Attorney General of the time, Jeff Sessions, Whitaker was extremely critical of Mueller's investigation.

Last month, Whitaker told the committee: "The White House has at no time requested, nor provided any promise or commitment regarding the special advocate's investigation or any other investigation. "

Nadler said the committee planned to analyze the revelations and see where they lead.