Congressman Jim Cooper

Representing the 5th District of Tennessee

Cooper Joins Democrats on Oversight and Judiciary Committees to Demand Immediate Investigation of President Trump and Top Administration Officials

May 17, 2017
Press Release

WASHINGTON – Joining every Democratic member of the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform and the House Committee on the Judiciary, U.S. Rep. Jim Cooper (TN-05) sent a detailed letter to the committees’ Republican chairmen outlining a request for an immediate and robust investigation into the recent actions of President Trump and other administration officials.

This week’s request for a thorough probe of the administration came on the heels of a brief period during which President Trump:

  • Fired the FBI leader in charge of investigating potential collusion with Russia;
  • Switched his story about how he arrived at that decision;
  • Suggested he kept “tapes” to secretly record private conversations;
  • And reportedly leaked classified information to Russian diplomats.

Additionally, President Trump in February asked then-FBI Director James Comey to “shut down” a federal investigation into former National Security Advisor Michael Flynn, according to an article this week in The New York Times.

“More and more Republicans in Congress, from Sen. Corker to Sen. McCain, are realizing the gravity of what is happening at the White House,” Rep. Cooper said. “Congress clearly needs to investigate, and we need to hear from Comey now. Congress must put country before politics and do its job.”

Rep. Cooper is a member of the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee, the premiere investigative body in the House. In recent months, Rep. Cooper and his colleagues on the committee have asked Committee Chairman Jason Chaffetz multiple times for investigations and briefings on various issues in the Trump White House. To date, minimal action has been taken.

Among other requests, the new letter demands an immediate public hearing with Comey and copies of all of the former FBI director’s memos relating to the president, as well as all associated agency and White House records, including any audio tapes and notes, if they exist. 

The letter also requests that the Oversight Committee schedule an immediate vote on a motion to subpoena the White House to produce documents it has been withholding in response to the bipartisan request from Ranking Member Elijah Cummings and Chairman Chaffetz on March 22.

Issues: 
Government Reform