WASHINGTON, DC – Today, Congressman Jim Jordan (R-OH), Ranking Member of the House Committee on Oversight and Reform, and Congressman Mark Meadows (R-NC), Ranking Member of the Government Operations Subcommittee, sent a Today, Congressman Jim Jordan (R-OH), Ranking Member of the House Committee on Oversight and Reform, and Congressman Mark Meadows (R-NC), Ranking Member of the Government Operations Subcommittee, sent a letter to Attorney General William Barr requesting information about the actions of two high profile prosecutors on the Special Counsel’s Office, Andrew Weissman and Zainab Ahmad, and their knowledge of the information in the Steele dossier in 2016.

Excerpts from the letter:

“In 2016, prior to the presidential election, both Weissmann and Ahmad were part of a small group of Justice Department officials communicating with then-Associate Deputy Attorney General Bruce Ohr about the anti-Trump dossier information collected by an FBI source, Christopher Steele. According to Ohr, Steele was “desperate” to prevent then-candidate Donald Trump from becoming President-a bias Ohr communicated to the FBI. Ohr testified he also conveyed Steele’s information to Weissmann and Ahmad in 2016-well before Special Counsel was appointed. “

“In naming Mueller as Special Counsel in May 2017, Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein emphasized the need for public confidence, explaining that “a Special Counsel is necessary in order for the American people to have full confidence in the outcome” of the investigation.”

“Since beginning our investigation in October 2017, we have obtained evidence of political bias and self-described “unusual” conduct within the Department raising questions about the independence of the Special Counsel’s Office. We learned several employees of the Special Counsel’s Office are affiliated with political opponents of President Trump.”

“Weissmann’s and Ahmad’s receipt of biased information before their appointment to the Special Counsel’s Office puts into question their impartiality, the very reason for establishing an independent Special Counsel investigation.”