House oversight committee chairman Trey Gowdy emphasized that in his "nearly two decades as a prosecutor," sexual abuse cases against women were "among the most significant, difficult, and emotional." | Zach Gibson/Getty Images Gowdy shoots down House Democrats' request to probe Trump sexual assault allegations

House oversight committee chairman Trey Gowdy (R-S.C.) has referred allegations that President Donald Trump sexually assaulted women to the Justice Department, rebuffing a request from House Democrats that his committee investigate the claims.

"This Committee, nor any other Committee of Congress, does not, and cannot, prosecute crimes. This is true for many reasons but especially true in crimes of this serious nature," he wrote in a reply to Rep. Lois Frankel (D-Fla.), who gathered signatures from Democratic colleagues calling for the investigation.


"Those alleging sexual assault or criminal sexual conduct deserve to be interviewed by law enforcement professionals, and charging decisions should be made by prosecutors based on the quantum and quality of the admissible and provable evidence," the former prosecutor continued.

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Gowdy copied Attorney General Jeff Sessions on the letter. He emphasized that in his "nearly two decades as a prosecutor," sexual abuse cases against women were "among the most significant, difficult, and emotional."

"The victims deserved and received our compassion, patience, and gratitude at both the U.S. Attorney's Office and the District Attorney's Office while I was there," he wrote.

His decision, though, irked Democrats, including the committee's ranking Democrat Rep. Elijah Cummings (D-Md.) who tussled with Gowdy recently over a call to probe matters connected to former national security adviser Michael Flynn. Gowdy referred that matter, too, to federal law enforcement, arguing he doesn't want to interfere with a criminal investigation led by Special Counsel Robert Mueller.

Cummings said sexual harassment allegations against the president are within the committee's purview.

"Congress is in the midst of a critical and long-overdue examination of allegations against its own Members—both before and after they were elected to Congress," Cummings said in a statement. "The Oversight Committee is charged with examining similar allegations against Executive Branch employees and the President."

In his reply to Frankel, Gowdy said any allegations that fall short of crimes should be referred to the Judiciary Committee, which he noted "has jurisdiction over allegations related to fitness for office and non-criminal matters."

