Washington—All nine Senate Judiciary Committee Democrats today requested that Attorney General Sessions provide information about contact between the Justice Department and U.S. attorneys’ offices on pending federal investigations prior to the firing of 46 U.S. attorneys on March 10, 2017.

The senators wrote: “We appreciate that U.S. Attorneys serve at the pleasure of the President, who retains the right to remove them, but these abrupt firings have raised questions about ongoing investigations. We are also concerned about potential contacts between political officials and law enforcement personnel in contradiction to longstanding policy limiting such communication.”

Full text of the letter follows:

March 30, 2017

The Honorable Jeff Sessions
United States Department of Justice
950 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW
Washington, DC 20530-0001

Dear Attorney General Sessions:

Several weeks ago, the Administration ordered all Senate-confirmed U.S. Attorneys to immediately resign, apparently without warning or a plan for a smooth transition to new leadership. We appreciate that U.S. Attorneys serve at the pleasure of the President, who retains the right to remove them, but these abrupt firings have raised questions about ongoing investigations.

We are also concerned about potential contacts between political officials and law enforcement personnel in contradiction to longstanding policy limiting such communication. To address these significant issues, we request the following information:

1. Did the Department request from any or all United States Attorneys’ Offices (USAOs) any information about pending significant or potentially politically sensitive investigations? If so, when was such information requested?

2. Did any USAOs provide such information? What, if any, date was that information provided? Please identify the USAO offices involved in any such cases.

3. Which, if any, cases or investigations were brought to your attention as a result of these inquiries? Which, if any, were brought to the attention of any White House employees or personnel? When was any such information communicated and to whom?

4. When, and by whom, was the decision made to request the resignations of all Senate-confirmed U.S. Attorneys? Who else, in or out of the Administration, was involved in the decision-making process?

5. Were the person or people who made that decision aware of any information about any ongoing cases being pursued by any USAOs?

6. Have any White House employees or personnel been communicating directly with USAOs in any respect? Please detail such communications.

7. What steps have been taken to ensure that any contemplated or pending investigations or prosecutions will be allowed to continue unimpeded, and free from political interference?

We appreciate your prompt attention to our request and ask that you provide this information no later than April 14, 2017.

Sincerely,

Dianne Feinstein
United States Senator

Patrick Leahy
United States Senator

Richard J. Durbin
United States Senator

Sheldon Whitehouse
United States Senator

Amy Klobuchar
United States Senator

Al Franken
United States Senator

Christopher A. Coons
United States Senator

Richard Blumenthal
United States Senator

Mazie Hirono
United States Senator