Tag: Chuck Grassley

These 2 Republican senators are pushing AG Barr for Ukraine investigation on Democrats

AlterNet logoAlthough a few Republicans in the U.S. Senate have said that they find the Ukraine scandal troubling — including Sen. Mitt Romney of Utah and Sen. Ben Sasse of Nebraska — others have been rallying to President Donald Trump’s defense. And two GOP senators are responding to the scandal by calling for an investigation of Democratic actions in Ukraine during the 2016 presidential race.

Sen. Chuck Grassley of Iowa and Sen. Ron Johnson of Wisconsin, according to the Washington Times, are asking Attorney General William Barr and the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) to investigate claims that Democrats, in 2016, colluded with the Ukrainian government to undermine Trump’s presidential campaign. And Grassley and Johnson are alleging that Democratic consultant Alexandra Chalupa worked with the Ukrainian government to obtain Trump-related opposition research.

In a letter to Barr, Grassley and Johnson wrote, “Ukrainian efforts abetted by a U.S. political party to interfere in the 2016 election should not be ignored. Such allegations of corruption deserve due scrutiny, and the American people have a right to know when foreign forces attempted to undermine our Democrat processes.”

View the September 30 article by Alex Henderson on the AlterNet website here.

White House brushes off Grassley, GOP concern over Mexico tariffs

‘Trade policy and border security are separate issues,’ Senate Finance chair

After abruptly announcing tariffs on imports coming from Mexico over a migrant dispute, the White House is brushing aside the concerns of powerful Republican lawmakers – including Senate Finance Chairman Charles E. Grassley.

President Donald Trump green-lighted the import fees in an attempt to push the Mexican government to clamp down on the flow of Central and South American migrants moving through its territory toward the U.S.-Mexico border.

But Grassley, whose committee handles trade issues, issued a scathing statement Thursday night, calling the move a “misuse of presidential tariff authority and counter to congressional intent.” An Iowa Republican, Grassley has voiced concerns in the past about the trade battles hurting on farmers in his state who sell to foreign markets.

View the complete May 31 article by John T. Bennett on The Roll Call website here.

Grassley unintentionally contradicts White House claims that Congress can’t see Trump tax returns

The senior GOP senator and finance committee chair acknowledged the law gives Congress the power to get anyone’s tax returns.

A day after Mick Mulvaney, President Donald Trump’s acting White House chief of staff, vowed that congressional Democrats would “never” see the president’s tax returns, the longest serving Republican in the Senate went on Fox News and admitted that Congress does in fact have the authority to access those documents.

House Democrats previously asked the Internal Revenue Service to release Trump’s tax returns by Wednesday this week, as part of their ongoing probes into the many investigations of Trump’s 2016 campaign, inaugural committee, and business matters. When pressed on this during an interview on Fox News Sunday, Mulvaney said adamantly, “Never. Nor should they.”

Grassley, who serves as both Senate president pro tempore and chair of the Finance Committee, said Monday he did not actually want to see Trump’s tax returns but acknowledged that, under the law, he and House Ways & Means Chair Richard Neal (D-MA) have the right to do so.

View the complete April 8 article by Josh Israel on the ThinkProgress website here.

Grassley adviser resigns after sexual harassment accusation

A communications adviser to Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Charles E. Grassley (R-Iowa) during the Supreme Court confirmation fight has abruptly resigned after an accusation of sexual harassment — an allegation he denies.

Garrett Ventry submitted his resignation Friday night, he said in a brief phone interview Saturday morning. He said he denies the allegation but stepped down “in order to not be a distraction” as Senate Republicans continue to work to get Supreme Court nominee Brett M. Kavanaugh confirmed.

“Garrett was one of several temporary staff brought on to assist in the committee’s consideration of the Supreme Court nomination, a team that has done outstanding work,” a committee spokesman said Saturday morning. “While he strongly denies allegations of wrongdoing, he decided to resign to avoid causing any distraction from the work of the committee.

View the complete September 22 article by Seung Min Kim on the Washington Post website here.

Grassley: No reason to delay Kavanaugh hearing

Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) is pressing forward with a hearing scheduled for Monday after a woman accusing Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh of sexual misconduct called for the FBI to investigate her claims before she testifies.

Grassley on Tuesday evening said there was “no reason” to delay the hearing. Republicans have invited both Kavanaugh and Christine Blasey Ford, his accuser, to testify publicly.

“Dr. Ford’s testimony would reflect her personal knowledge and memory of events. Nothing the FBI or any other investigator does would have any bearing on what Dr. Ford tells the committee, so there is no reason for any further delay,” Grassley said.

View the complete September 18 article by Jordain Carney on the Hill website here.

Senate Panel Tees Up Mueller Protection Bill Despite Headwinds

The following article by Todd Ruger was posted on the Roll Call website April 19, 2018:

McConnell indicates measure won’t reach Senate floor

Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Sen. Chuck Grassley and ranking member Sen. Dianne Feinstein Credit: Drew Angerer/Getty Images

Members of the Senate Judiciary Committee say they want to act on a bill to protect Special Counsel Robert S. Mueller III — even if Majority Leader Mitch McConnell essentially killed it by saying it won’t make it to the floor.

They then spoke to the natural follow-up question: Why bother?

“I answered this question I’ll bet about 10 times,” Chairman Charles E. Grassley told the committee Thursday. “The press is always trying to put us between me and the president, or me and the majority leader. I don’t care to be put in the middle of anything. Continue reading “Senate Panel Tees Up Mueller Protection Bill Despite Headwinds”

A Partisan Combatant, a Remorseful Blogger: The Senate Staffer Behind the Attack on the Trump-Russia Investigation

The following article by Robert Faturechi was posted on the ProPublica website March 28, 2018:

Jason Foster, chief investigative counsel to the Senate Judiciary Committee, once blogged under the handle “Extremist,” expressing worry about a Muslim takeover and whether Joe McCarthy got a bum rap. Today, as he helps lead an explosive investigation, he says the blogging was satire and asks for forgiveness.

Senate Judiciary Committee Chair Sen. Grassley and ranking member Feinstein listen to testimony during a hearing on Capitol Hill in July. Jason Foster is chief investigative counsel to this committee. Credit: Drew Angerer/Getty Images

Jason Foster, chief investigative counsel to the Senate Judiciary Committee, fits a classic Washington profile: A powerful, mostly unknown force at the center of some of the most consequential battles on Capitol Hill.

For the last year, Foster — empowered by his boss, Sen. Charles Grassley, R-Iowa, the committee’s chairman — has been the behind-the-scenes architect of an assault on the FBI, and most centrally its role in special counsel Robert Mueller’s investigation of possible collusion between the Trump campaign and Russia, according to interviews with current and former congressional aides, federal law enforcement officials and others. Continue reading “A Partisan Combatant, a Remorseful Blogger: The Senate Staffer Behind the Attack on the Trump-Russia Investigation”

Senate panel to release interviews with Trump Jr., others involved in meeting with Russian lawyer

The following article by Karoun Demirjian was posted on the Washington Post website January 25, 2018:

Sen. Charles E. Grassley (R-Iowa) said on Jan. 25 that he’ll release transcripts of interviews related to Donald Trump Jr.’s Trump Tower meeting with Russians. (Jordan Frasier/The Washington Post)

The Senate Judiciary Committee intends to release transcripts of its interviews with President Trump’s son Donald Trump Jr., and others who participated in a June 2016 meeting at Trump Tower with a Russian lawyer allegedly promising damaging information about Hillary Clinton.

Chairman Charles E. Grassley (R-Iowa) said Thursday that the committee would disclose “all witness interviews that we have done related to that meeting,” making them available to the public “for everyone to see.” The committee’s interviews, which were conducted behind closed doors, are complete, he added. Continue reading “Senate panel to release interviews with Trump Jr., others involved in meeting with Russian lawyer”

Trump criticism dominates Chuck Grassley town meeting in rural Iowa

The following article by Jason Noble was posted on the Des Moines Register website January 12, 2018:

LOGAN, Ia. — U.S. Sen. Chuck Grassley faced relentless questioning about President Donald Trump’s fitness for office and his own handling of the investigation into Russian election meddling at a rural town meeting here Friday morning.

Amid a smattering of questions about trucking regulations, homeopathic medicine and pension security, a steady stream of attendees pressed Grassley to defend his handling of the ongoing Russia investigation and to offer his views on Trump’s conduct on the job. Continue reading “Trump criticism dominates Chuck Grassley town meeting in rural Iowa”

Grassley pressed on Trump at town hall

The following article by Julia Manchester was posted on the Hill website January 12, 2018:

Credit: AP Photo/Pablo Martinez Monsivais

Sen. Chuck Grassley (R) at a town hall in his home state of Iowa on Friday repeatedly dodged questions from his constituents on President Trump‘s behavior following reports that Trump referred to Haiti, El Salvador and African nations as “shithole countries.”

“Are you not personally concerned about his fitness to serve? If not, why not? Because I’m very concerned,” one attendee told Grassley, who responded by saying he was not qualified to make a psychological assessment, the Des Moines Register reported. Continue reading “Grassley pressed on Trump at town hall”