DOJ Inspector General Michael Horowitz testified before congress today on matters relating to the overall IG office. However, with Democrat majority chairs refusing to call Horowitz for testimony on the recent Comey Report, republicans on the House Oversight Committee took advantage of the opportunity to ask questions about the FISA investigation and the prior IG reports on James Comey and Andrew McCabe.
The full hearing is below. However, to save time the key parts of the discussion are time sequenced and identified (each prompted, just hit play):
[@59:55] IG questioning by Rep. Hice begins to center on issues related to the IG report on FISA. Mr. Horowitz discusses the current status of the FISA IG report as under rough draft review by AG Bill Barr, where decisions on classification are taking place.
Mr. Steube notes the stunning aspects about the DOJ Inspector General sending criminal referrals for both the Director of the FBI and Deputy Director of the FBI. Mr. Steube goes through the three prior IG reports (Clinton Investigation, Andrew McCabe and James Comey).
[@01:16:26] Rep. Jim Jordan takes over from where Steube was and asks Horowitz if any Committee Chairman has asked him to testify. Horowitz confirms that neither Chairman Nadler nor Chairman Cummings has asked for IG testimony. Democrats are attempting to hide the investigative findings.
Additionally, Rep. Jordan outlines how the Comey report shows the former FBI Director acting in an investigative capacity to question President-elect Donald Trump.
[@01:22:40] Ranking Member Mark Meadows takes-up where Jim Jordan left-off. Meadows outlines some of the specifics around James Comey’s leaks to the media; pointing out that Comey’s testimony to congress conflicts with some aspects of the IG report on James Comey. Mr. Meadows notes that he and Jim Jordan anticipate sending an investigative referral to the IG based on the contradictions.
[@01:27:55] Rep. Grothman asks questions about the “small group” within the FBI being “shocked” and “stunned” to discover the FBI Director leaked FBI investigative material to the media.
[@01:29:50] Rep Grothman yields the balance of his time to Jim Jordan. Rep Jordan then asks additional questions about exactly who was in the “small group” who had a debriefing immediately following the meeting between James Comey and President-elect Trump.
James Baker, Jim Rybicki, Andrew McCabe and likely Lisa Page and Peter Strzok were part of the team debriefed by James Comey at the conclusion of the meeting with President-elect Trump.
