Grassley: 'Double standard' if Dems don't back probing Obama-era scandals
Sen. Chuck GrassleyCharles (Chuck) Ernest GrassleyLegislation slows to crawl in divided Washington Grassley sarcastically hails History Channel for playing history GOP gets used to saying ‘no’ to Trump MORE (R-Iowa) lashed out Senate Democrats on Monday, accusing them of having a “double standard” when it comes to probes coming out of the 2016 presidential election.
Grassley, speaking from the Senate floor, argued that Democrats’ support for special counsel Robert MuellerRobert Swan MuellerSasse: US should applaud choice of Mueller to lead Russia probe MORE‘s probe into the 2016 election and demands to see the report and underlying documentation meant they should support similar requests for the handling of the probe into Hillary ClintonHillary Diane Rodham ClintonSanders set for five-state Midwestern swing The Hill’s 12:30 Report: Trump looks to get tougher on border with Nielsen out Clinton: Nielsen departure will not stop Trump’s ‘dehumanization and cruelty toward migrants’ MORE‘s private email server and other Obama-era scandals.
“I don’t just mean those related to the Mueller investigation. We should see every piece of evidence, including evidence connected to how the Russian investigation started,” Grassley said.
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Grassley, as chairman of the Judiciary Committee during the previous Congress, requested a slew of information from the Justice Department about its handling of the Clinton email investigation, as well as the opposition research dossier on then-candidate Trump and the FISA warrant application against Trump campaign aide Carter Page.
Sen. Lindsey GrahamLindsey Olin GrahamFormer US Sen. Ernest ‘Fritz’ Hollings dies at 97 Former Democratic aide pleads guilty to doxing GOP senators attending Kavanaugh hearing GOP gets used to saying ‘no’ to Trump MORE (R-S.C.), the chairman of the Judiciary Committee, has pledged that he will use the panel to probe the handling of the Clinton investigation, the FISA warrant applications and the origins of the so-called Steele dossier.
“So will Democrats join me in that effort and support my request? Further, to be consistent we shouldn’t stop at the Russia investigation. The Democrats want all the Mueller information but seem to be turning a blind eye to other investigations where Congress and the public have yet to see every bit of information that’s out there,” Grassley added.
Grassley’s speech comes as Democrats are clamoring for Attorney General William BarrWilliam Pelham BarrThe Hill’s 12:30 Report: Trump looks to get tougher on border with Nielsen out Top Republican calls on Nadler to have Mueller testify The Hill’s Morning Report – Trump cleaning house on border security MORE to release Mueller’s full report into Russia’s election interference and the Trump campaign.
Barr previously gave the House and Senate Judiciary Committees a four-page letter detailing the principal conclusions of the investigation. He’s expected to release the report to Congress later this month and has offered to testify publicly about the investigation early next month.
Senate Democrats have tried to pass a resolution five times that would back releasing the report publicly but have been blocked each time by Republicans.
And Grassley argued on Monday that unless Democrats were willing to support the same amount of disclosure on the Clinton probe and the Obama-era Uranium One deal it would look like “political gamesmanship and sets a clear double standard.”
“I’ll tell you right now the Democrats’ obsession with bringing Trump down is nothing but a double standard if they’re going to ignore other investigations of national importance. If you want to be taken seriously in this country, you have to be consistent. …Let’s see all of it, Clinton, Uranium One, Russia,” he said.
Democrats have largely brushed off calls from Republicans to revisit the Obama-era scandals, arguing their GOP colleagues want to spend time probing conspiracy theories.
“This is going to be like the History Channel, it turns out. Instead of taking a look at the current issues, Lindsey Graham wants to go back and answer important questions about the Bermuda Triangle and Hillary Clinton,” Sen. Dick DurbinRichard (Dick) Joseph DurbinDems target Juul over Altria ties, advertising tactics Dems face pressure from left to step up court fight on ‘blue slips’ Overnight Health Care: Trump officials urging Alaska to apply for Medicaid block grant | Court upholds Kentucky ultrasound abortion law | Departing FDA chief headed to think tank MORE (D-Ill.) told The Hill earlier this year.