Acting Attorney General Matthew Whitaker will appear before Congress on Feb. 8 for an oversight hearing, the House Judiciary Committee announced Tuesday, marking the first Trump Cabinet official to be hauled before the new Democratic majority.
Judiciary Committee Chairman Jerrold Nadler said he expects the hearing to take place even if the partial government shutdown is not resolved by then, and even if Mr. Whitaker has been supplanted by confirmation of a new attorney general.
Mr. Nadler said the hearing will go all day, signaling the amount of questions lawmakers are likely to fire at Mr. Whitaker.
President Trump elevated Mr. Whitaker to acting chief of the Justice Department after demanding the resignation in November of former Attorney General Jeff Sessions.
Mr. Whitaker had been serving as chief of staff to Mr. Sessions, and Mr. Trump’s appointment leap-frogged him over Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein.
• Stephen Dinan can be reached at sdinan@washingtontimes.com.
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