House Oversight Committee Chairman Jason Chaffetz said Monday he will continue to investigate Hillary Clinton’s use of a primary email server while leading the State Department, but claimed he “won’t be a cheerleader” for President-elect Donald Trump.
“Just because there was a political election doesn’t mean it goes away,” the Utah Republican said of the Clinton investigation.
He called the classified emails that surfaced on the server “the largest breach of security in the history of the State Department.”
The FBI decided not to recommend charges against Clinton, though their months-long investigation — and last-minute reopening of it — cast a pall over her campaign.
Chaffetz also told reporters his committee will continue its executive oversight role ?and said that could include probing issues arising in the Trump administration.
“My job is not to be a cheerleader for the president,” he said.
When asked about Trump’s potential business conflicts the chairman noted that the law? exempts the president of the United States, calling the push from Democrats to launch a committee investigation on Trump’s business ties “premature at best.”
Chaffetz also sidestepped a question about potential conflicts for Trump’s son-in-law, Jared Kushner, tapped to be a senior adviser, saying he just learned about his role. But he said he planned to talk to the incoming White House Counsel, Don McGahn, soon.
On laws regarding conflicts and the president, Chaffetz said “maybe some of that should be tightened up.”
“I will not shy away from taking a look,” he said of his role under the Trump administration. “It’s not going to be pleasant sometimes.”
He also vowed to continue investigating the costs of the Epipen, and said the company “fed us a bunch of bull.”