Grassley: Officials withholding info on Russia probe

Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck GrassleyCharles (Chuck) Ernest GrassleyKey players in new fight over Trump tax returns Pharmacy benefit managers can still game the system despite Senate attempt to close Medicaid loophole Dems push for increased scrutiny of Trump’s court picks MORE (R-Iowa) on Wednesday said federal law enforcement officials were withholding information in his committee's probe of ties between Donald TrumpDonald John TrumpTrump's approval holding steady in poll, despite shutdown drama Trump huddles with Pence, Mulvaney, Kushner as shutdown hits one week Trump jokingly congratulated acting EPA chief on not acting like Pruitt: report MORE's presidential campaign and Russia.

Grassley was asked by The Washington Post whether FBI Director James Comey gave his panel the same information he gave the Senate Intelligence Committee.

“Every time they come up here for their nomination hearing and I ask them are you going to answer phone calls and our letters and are you going to give us the documents you want? And every time we get a real positive yes! And then they end up being liars!” Grassley responded.

“It’s not if they’re treating us differently than another committee. It’s if they’re responding at all.”

"I've been told that I'll have a briefing this afternoon," Grassley told reporters. 

 

Grassley told the Post he would delay consideration of the nominee for deputy attorney general until the FBI responds to his committee.

 

"That seems to have gotten their attention," he told the Post.

 

Sen. Lindsey GrahamLindsey Olin GrahamHouse GOP probe into FBI, DOJ comes to an end Graham: Syrian Kurds aligning with Assad would be 'major disaster' Graham to Pelosi: 'No Wall Money, No Deal' MORE (R-S.C.) said Wednesday he wants to know if there is a criminal investigation "regarding the Trump campaign and ties to Russia."

 

"I want to know about it because we’re doing congressional investigations of all-things Russia," he told the Post. "I don’t want to run into a criminal investigation not knowing it’s out there.”