JASON CHAFFETZ, UTAH
CHAIRMAN

ONE HUNDRED FIFTEENTH CONGRESS

(!Congress of tbe Wntteb �tates

ELIJAH E. CUMMINGS, MARYLAND
RANKING MINORITY MEMBER

J}ouse of l\epresentatibes

COMMITTEE ON OVERSIGHT AND GOVERNMENT REFORM
2157

RAYBURN HOUSE OFFICE BUILDING

WASHINGTON,

DC 20515-6143

MAJORITY (202) 225-5074
MINORITY (202) 225-5051
http://overstght.house.gov

May 10, 2017
The Honorable Michael E. Horowitz
Inspector General
Department of Justice
950 Pennsylvania Avenue, N.W.
Washington, D.C. 20530
Dear Mr. Horowitz:
Yesterday, May 9, 2017, the President fired the Director of the Federal Bureau of
Investigation, James Comey. 1 In a letter to the Director advising him of his termination, the
President cited recommendations from Attorney General Jeff Sessions and Deputy Attorney
General Rod Rosenstein. The Attorney General and Deputy Attorney General based their
recommendation on the Director's decision to publicize the results of the FBI's investigation of
former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton last year, among other things.
I request that you expand the scope of your office's ongoing review of allegations
regarding certain actions by the Department of Justice and the FBI in advance of the 2016
election to include the facts and circumstances surrounding the removal of Director Corney.
You stated previously that your work includes an examination of whether Corney's public
communications and notifications to Congress about the Clinton investigation comported with
Justice Department and FBI policies and procedures. 2 You separately stated "if circumstances
warrant, the OIG will consider including other issues that may arise during the course of the
review."3 The recommendation to remove Corney indeed warrants such consideration.

1
2

Letter from the President to the Hon. James Corney, Director, Fed. Bureau ofInvestigation (May 9, 2017).

E.g., Letter from the Hon. Michael E. Horowitz, Inspector Gen., Dep't of Justice, to Jason Chaffetz, Chairman, H.

Comm. on Oversight & Gov't Reform, et al. (Jan. 12, 2017); see also Letter from the Hon. Bob Goodlatte,
Chairman, H. Comm. on the Judiciary, Jason Chaffetz, Chairman, H. Comm. on Oversight & Gov't Reform, et. al,
to the Hon. Michael E. Horowitz, Inspector Gen., Dep't of Justice, and Hon. Steve Linick, Inspector Gen., Dep't of
State (Oct. 11, 2016) (requesting an investigation of aspects of the FBI's investigation into Secretary Clinton); Letter
from Jason Chaffetz, Chairman, H. Comm. on Oversight & Gov't Reform, to the Hon. Michael E. Horowitz,
Inspector Gen., Dep't of Justice (Oct. 31, 2016) (requesting the Committee be formally added as a requestor on the
Oct. 11, 2016, request).
3
Press Release, U.S. Dep't ofJustice Office oflnspector Gen., DOJ OIG Announces Initiation of Review, Jan. 12,
2017, available at https://oig.justice.gov/press/2017/20 I 7-0 l-12.pdf.

 The Honorable Michael E. Horowitz
Mayl0,2017
Page2
The Committee on Oversight and Government Reform is the principal oversight
committee of the House of Representatives and may at "any time" investigate "any matter" as
set forth in House Rule X.

Jason Chaffetz
Chairman
cc:

The Honorable Elijah E. Cummings, Ranking Member