Subject: Statement from SJL re Cornyn
From: Adrienne Elrod <[email-masked]>
To: HRCRR <[email-masked]>, John Podesta <[email-masked]>, Sara Latham <[email-masked]>
Date: Tue, 15 Sep 2015 21:32:26 -0400

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE                                            Contact:
Michael J. McQuerry

September 15, 2015
                                    202-225-7080

*Press Statement*

*Statement of Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee Regarding Request by Senator
John Cornyn For Attorney General to Appoint Special Counsel*

*Washington, DC* - Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee, a senior member of the
House Committees on Homeland Security and Judiciary Committee, and Ranking
Member of the Judiciary Subcommittee on Crime, Terrorism, Homeland Security
and Investigations, released the following statement today disputing the
claim by Senator John Cornyn (R-TX) that the Attorney General should
appoint a special counsel to investigate the controversy regarding the
e-mails of former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton:

“I strongly disagree with my colleague Senator Cornyn regarding the need
for the Attorney General to appoint a special counsel to investigate the
controversy regarding the e-mails of former Secretary of State Hillary
Clinton. The Justice Department regulation guiding the Attorney General’s
discretion clearly provides that such action is not to be taken in the
absence of a determination by the Attorney General that a (1) criminal
investigation of a person or matter is warranted and (2) that a conflict of
interest prevents the Department of Justice from conducting that
investigation. There is no credible basis for assuming or concluding that
either of these conditions precedent has or can be satisfied.

“Instead of wasting valuable time considering requests that have no basis
in fact, I prefer the Attorney General to devote her energies and the
resources of the Justice Department to protecting the right of all
Americans to vote, working with Congress on legislation to reform our
criminal justice system, and providing the assistance and expertise needed
to keep our people safe and protect our homeland. Senators and Members of
Congress would do well to concentrate their time and efforts to addressing
the real challenges like avoiding another Republican government shutdown,
reforming our broken immigration system, reauthorizing the Export-Import
Bank, and making college more affordable.”

####

*Congresswoman Jackson Lee is a Democrat from Texas’s 18th Congressional
District. She is a senior member of the House Committees on Judiciary and
Homeland Security and is Ranking Member of the Judiciary Subcommittee on
Crime, Terrorism, Homeland Security, and Investigations.*
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