In August 2017, Whitaker wrote in an op-ed published on CNN that “Mueller has come up to a red line in the Russia 2016 election-meddling investigation that he is dangerously close to crossing.” The president has also said there was no collusion between his campaign and Russia. Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein oversaw the investigation until Whitaker was appointed after Sessions’s resignation.ĭemocrats suspect Whitaker’s appointment as the top judicial official was aimed at suppressing investigations of Trump, who has repeatedly called the Mueller probe a “witch-hunt”. He added that he has not denied any funds to the special counsel’s investigation.įormer Attorney General Jeff Sessions, who Trump effectively fired in November, had recused from overseeing the Russia investigation. He told politicians that since he took over as acting attorney general in November 2018, there has been no change in the “overall management” of Special Counsel’s Robert Mueller investigation. In his opening statement, Whitaker said that while he would address the committee’s questions, he would not reveal details of his communications with the Republican president. “There has been no event … that has required me to take any action, and I have not interfered in any way” with Mueller’s probe, he added. “We have followed the special counsel regulations to a T,” he said. This story has been updated with additional information.ĬNN’s Maegan Vazquez contributed to this report.Keep reading list of 4 items list 1 of 4 Venezuela’s opposition primary: Will Maduro finally be challenged? list 2 of 4 Prabowo picks Jokowi’s son as running mate in Indonesia presidential bid list 3 of 4 Philippines calls on China to stop ‘provocative actions’ at sea list 4 of 4 China urges Gaza ceasefire, willing to do whatever needed to end violence end of list We believe the Senate owes it to the American people to swiftly consider and confirm a leader to this key safety agency,” the official said. “Politics must not hold up confirming an Administrator to lead the FAA, and we will move expeditiously to nominate a new candidate for FAA Administrator. The White House will work to select a new nominee to lead the FAA, the official said. The partisan attacks and procedural obstruction he has faced are undeserved, but I respect his decision to withdraw and am grateful for his service,” Buttigieg said in a tweet. “The FAA needs a confirmed Administrator, and Phil Washington’s transportation & military experience made him an excellent nominee. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg on Saturday highlighted the need for a confirmed FAA administrator as he condemned the “partisan attacks” on Washington. While Washington has worked in transportation-related positions since 2000, he had no experience in the aviation industry prior to joining the Denver airport in 2021 – something that became a major concern among committee members. Prior to his work in transportation, Washington served in the military for 24 years. He also led the Biden-Harris transition team for the Department of Transportation. Washington, the current CEO of the Denver International Airport, has held leadership roles at municipal transit organizations, including in Denver and Los Angeles, focused on bus and rail lines. The nomination withdrawal was first reported by Reuters. A Republican Senate aide told CNN after the postponed vote that “he was pulled because they don’t have the votes to report him out of committee.”īecause Republicans remained unified in their opposition to Washington’s prospective leadership, “his nomination is on life support,” the aide said. The Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation was scheduled to vote on Washington’s nomination on Wednesday, but that vote was postponed. Senate committee delays vote to consider Biden's pick to lead the FAA Hyoung Chang/The/Denver Post/Getty Images/FILE In this file photo, Phil Washington poses for a portrait at the airport in Denver, Colorado, in June 2021.
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