Justice Department says two U.S. attorneys reviewing Ukraine material

The Justice Department has tapped two U.S. attorneys to review records and documents related to Ukraine, a department official wrote Tuesday in a letter to Congress.

Richard Donoghue, the U.S. attorney in Brooklyn, has been tasked to review all Ukraine materials that have been turned over to the Justice Department. Meanwhile, Scott Brady, the U.S. attorney in Pittsburgh, is assisting that review by conducting a preliminary analysis of new information related to Ukraine.

Assistant Attorney General Stephen Boyd revealed the federal prosecutors’ role in a letter to House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jerrold Nadler, New York Democrat. He said both men had been selected by Deputy Attorney General Jeffrey Rosen.

“The deputy attorney general implemented this policy to avoid duplication of efforts across Department Offices and complements, to facilitate information sharing, to ensure there are no conflicts among potentially overlapping matters, and to efficiently marshal the resources of the department,” Mr. Boyd wrote.

Attorney General William P. Barr last week said the Justice Department had “an open-door policy” for anyone who wished to offer tips or material from Ukraine. He pledged any information would be “carefully scrutinized by the department and its intelligence community partners.”

The Justice Department’s review includes material provided by Rudolph W. Giuliani, President Trump’s personal lawyer. Mr. Giuliani has been digging for dirt on former Vice President Joesph R. Biden, a Democratic presidential candidate, and his son Hunter, who scored a lucrative contract to sit on the board of Burisma Holdings, a Ukrainian energy company.

Mr. Trump’s effort to press the Ukraine president to investigate the Bidens was at the center of the Democrats’ impeachment effort. The president was acquitted by the Senate last month.

Democrats have erupted over the Justice Department’s willingness to review material about Ukraine and the Bidens. They say the administration is using the Justice Department to target political rivals.

Mr. Nadler sent a letter to the attorney general expressing his “serious concern” over the situation and demanding answers on how the Ukraine material will be evaluated.