Walters Presses AG Lynch For Answers On Clinton Investigation, VA Investigation

Press Release

Congresswoman Mimi Walters (CA-45) today released the following statement after the House Judiciary Committee's annual oversight hearing with Attorney General Loretta Lynch:

"One of the Judiciary Committee's most important duties is to conduct oversight on the Department of Justice (DOJ) to ensure it is held accountable and provides transparency to the American people. However, Attorney General Loretta Lynch once again refused to answer the Committee's most basic questions. First, I asked Attorney General Lynch whether Secretary Clinton mishandled classified information by willingly sharing classified emails with her lawyers, who did not have security clearances. In what has become the norm from the overtly politicized DOJ, Attorney General Lynch said she could not provide an answer.

"More importantly, I pressed Attorney General Lynch as to why she has failed to provide me and the Judiciary Committee answers about the DOJ's investigation into the numerous scandals at the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). Last October, I asked Attorney General Lynch questions about the DOJ's investigation into the VA wait time manipulation scandal. At the time, she failed to provide any answers and eight months later, the DOJ has still failed to provide adequate follow-up. The information I am seeking from DOJ would not compromise active investigations and is vital to ensure Congress can develop solutions to fix our broken VA healthcare system. By placing partisanship over our veterans, the DOJ has repeatedly refused to provide answers, effectively blocking Congress' ability to get our veterans the care they have earned. I am appalled by DOJ's ongoing obstruction of legitimate congressional oversight, and I will not stand by while our veterans suffer. My colleagues and I will demand the Attorney General and the DOJ expeditiously provide the answers I once again asked for at today's hearing."

Speaking about Attorney General Lynch's failure to provide answers about the DOJ's investigation into the VA, Rep. Walters said: "I can only assume that your staff intentionally induced my office to participate in this informal call to avoid answering these questions, thus obstructing legitimate congressional oversight beyond the purview of the public. This is exactly the type of behavior that disgusts the American public. I attempt to inject transparency on a subject of immense public importance, and then agree to coordinate with the Administration to get answers and develop solutions - only to be subject to partisan games."

Background

On October 28, 2015, Rep. Walters questioned Attorney General Loretta Lynch during a House Judiciary Committee hearing on the DOJ's investigations into the VA, but AG Lynch insisted that DOJ's Office of Legislative Affairs (OLA) would provide information to her office.
On December 16, 2015, OLA broke that promise by refusing to answer the questions posed by Rep. Walters at the October 28th hearing and failed to provide any information related to the DOJ's investigations
The following day, December 17, 2015, Rep. Walters sent this letter to AG Lynch, again demanding answers regarding the DOJ's investigations into the various scandals plaguing the VA and requesting an in person meeting.
On January 15, 2016, an official at the DOJ responded with a letter that provided no answers and ignored Rep. Walters' request for a meeting.

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