Fox News "The Story" - Transcript: Rep. Jordan on ouster of Sessions

Interview

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MACCALLUM: He said that a couple of times. Today and they sounded like he meant it. Ed, thank you very much. Good to see you.

So, joining me now exclusively is a fierce critic of former Attorney General Sessions, Ohio Congressman Jim Jordan. Congressman good to have you with us this evening. Thanks for being here.

REP. JIM JORDAN, R-OHIO, HOUSE OVERSIGHT COMMITTEE: Good to be with you, Martha. You bet.

MACCALLUM: So a lot of people would look at Jeff Sessions' time at the Justice Department and say that he was very tough on immigration, very tough on law enforcement. So, they look at that and say, the only reason the president didn't like him was because he recused himself.

JORDAN: Well, look I appreciate Senator Sessions' service to our country. But we call for a special counsel more than a year ago and have repeatedly called for it since then. And Mr. Sessions won't appoint one.

I don't like special counsels, but you tell me how we get the answers from what the FBI and the DOJ did, particularly about the Russian investigation. How are they going to investigate themselves? So, we don't know what's going on over there. He won't appoint a special counsel, and we said a long time ago. If you're not willing to do that, you should probably step down. I think it was appropriate the action that was taken today by the President of the United States.

Remember Martha, he appointed John Huber, the U.S. Attorney to look into a lot of this. We have not got one single report from Mr. Huber about what he's done. Where is that -- where is that information? This happened months and months ago when he named John Huber, the U.S. attorney from Utah to look into this. We haven't heard one thing. So, I think this is the right move today.

MACCALLUM: Yes. That's a very good point. It -- Mark Whitaker will be the acting Attorney General sort of leapfrogging over Rod Rosenstein who is Deputy Attorney General.

JORDAN: Yes.

MACCALLUM: So, two questions with that.

JORDAN: Sure.

MACCALLUM: Do you think that Mark Whitaker will release the 19 page FISA surveillance warrant that was signed by Rod Rosenstein, and will he do it before the turnover of power.

JORDAN: Well let's -- well let's hope so. I mean, we need that information, we need the Bruce Ohr 302s, we need the Jim Bakker 302s, we need the Andy McCabe memos, we need all that information, and probably more importantly, we need Rod Rosenstein to come, answer our questions.

Did you, in fact, talk about wearing a wire to record the president? Did you talk about the 25th Amendment as it's been alleged? Did you do those things? Come, answer our questions. So, that's we need all that information. We've repeatedly asked for I certainly hope this new attorney general, the acting attorney general will do that. We'll find out I assume here in the next, next several weeks.

MACCALLUM: All right. It's Matthew Whitaker. I said, Mark. So, I apologize for that. Let's get to the politics of last night. The elections and the changes that, that brings with it. Let me just play this montage from some of the Democrats who will now be in leadership positions.

JORDAN: Yes.

MACCALLUM: And I want to get your thoughts on where they may be headed.

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REP. MAXINE WATERS, D-CALIF., FINANCIAL SERVICES COMMITTEE: I'm one of just a few who have insisted that he's unworthy, that he's deplorable, that he's despicable, and he should be impeached.

REP. JERRY NADLER, D-N.Y., HOUSE JUDICIARY COMMITTEE: We would have to investigate any credible allegations certainly a perjury and other things that haven't been properly looked into before.

REP. ELIJAH CUMMINGS, D-MD., HOUSE OVERSIGHT COMMITTEE: When the Democrats take over hopefully in January, that will have hearings and then we'll get to the bottom line.

REP. ADAM SCHIFF, D-CALIF., HOUSE INTELLIGENCE COMMITTEE: And that work won't stop when we take the majority. But we will be able to get answers the Republicans were unwilling to pursue. Records that the Republicans wouldn't ask for --

(END VIDEOTAPE)

MACCALLUM: What do you anticipate and also do you expect that you will become the ranking member of the House Oversight Committee?

JORDAN: Well, we're looking at all kinds of things. I've also talked about running for -- announce that I'm running for minority leader, so, we'll see. But, we know one thing. They are going to investigate everything. It will be not -- you don't have to take my word for it, take their words as you just played. They're going to do this.

And what I'm concerned most about is the thing we were just talking about. The idea that the Clinton campaign pay the law firm who paid Fusion GPS, who hired a foreigner who talked to Russians to put together a fake document called a dossier that was used as the basis to spy on President Trump's campaign the idea that, that investigation will be dropped.

That was the worst thing I've ever seen from the federal government, the idea that, that will be dropped to do all these other things that Maxine Waters and Jerry Nadler and Elijah Cummings and Adam Schiff are talking about. That's a concern and we're going to have to stand up strong for the truth as we go through these investigations that inevitably will come from the Democrat, the Democrat chairs of those respective committees.

MACCALLUM: Well, you just mentioned that you are also interested in being House Minority Leader, Kevin McCarthy has expressed an interest in that position as well. He said, "I helped build a majority from a deeper hole than this, and I have what it takes to do it again."

He is in a strong position here. One would think he has a good relationship with President Trump. Talked to me a little bit about why you think you have a better position.

JORDAN: Well, here's what I'll say, Martha. Look, the President Trump was elected to come to this town and shake it up. He is doing just that. He is coming here and doing what he told the American people he was going to do.

I think the House Republican Conference should match that same intensity. Which have we repealed Obamacare yet? Have we reformed welfare yet? Have we secured the border yet? There's lots of things we got to get done yet. I think that had an impact on what took place just yesterday in the election.

Now, one thing I also know is where President Trump went, there were good results. So, look, we got to match his intensity, that's what I want to do. And if I'm given the opportunity to lead our conference, I'll do that. If it's in a different role, if it's breaking member in one of these committees, I'll do that as well.

MACCALLUM: You know, we talked a moment ago about the deadline that now hangs over your head on all of these issues that you've worked very hard on, on oversight.

JORDAN: Yes.

MACCALLUM: How optimistic are you that you're going to get anywhere? You know, if you could accomplish one or two things before January, what would it be?

JORDAN: Those documents we just talked about that we've demanded, that we have -- that we have the right to see as a separate and equal branch of government. And Rod Rosenstein under oath in front of us in the Judiciary Committee answering those important questions. Did you, in fact, talk to subordinates about wearing a wire and recording the President of the United States? Did you, in fact, talk about the 25th Amendment?

We need -- this is the acting -- until today, this was the guy, in essence, running the Justice Department. The guy overseeing the Mueller probe. We need to know that particularly, Martha, because it happened in a critical time period. May 9th, 2017 when James Comey was fired based on Rod Rosenstein's memo. And May 17th, 2017 when Bob Mueller was named special counsel by Rod Rosenstein.

This is all alleged to have happened in that 8-day time frame when they were talking about obstruction of justice, when they were talking about wearing a wire, the 25th Amendment and appointment of a special counsel. He needs to come, answer our question.

MACCALLUM: I got to go. But you think Rod Rosenstein will keep his position as deputy A.G.?

JORDAN: That's up to the president. I don't know. I just want him to answer our questions and give us the information we're entitled to have.

MACCALLUM: Congressman Jordan, great to see you. Thank you very much.

JORDAN: You bet. Thank you.

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