Representative Trey Gowdy (R., S.C.) criticized Justice Department investigators for prolonging their investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 election during a tense House Judiciary Committee hearing Thursday.
Speaking to FBI director Christopher Wray and Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein, Gowdy demanded that they immediately present any evidence of wrongdoing by members of the Trump campaign and conclude their probe.
"We've seen the bias, we need to see the evidence," Gowdy, who chairs the House Committee on Oversight, told the officials. "If you have evidence of wrongdoing by any member of the Trump campaign, present it to the damn grand jury. If you have evidence that this president acted inappropriately, present it to the American people….Whatever you got, finish it the hell up. Right now this country is being torn apart."
The hearing was the culmination of a months-long public battle pitting congressional Republicans eager to expose wrongdoing in the FBI’s conduct of the Russia investigation against Department of Justice officials. Gowdy was joined by fellow House Republicans in demanding that the Justice Department be more forthcoming in responding to document requests by lawmakers.
Rosenstein insisted that investigators are struggling to comply with the high volume of document requests and denied that they were intentionally withholding any evidence of bias.
"As with most things in Washington, the real work is not done on television and it is not all done by me," Rosenstein said. "Trump administration officials are meeting and talking to your staffs every day to accommodate requests and produce relevant information to this committee, other committees, and several Senate committees."
The hearing concluded with the passage of a non-binding resolution demanding that the Justice Department comply with House committee subpoenas for documents related to the FBI surveillance of Trump campaign officials.
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