“I think it’s not inappropriate for the chairman of the Judiciary with jurisdiction over the Justice Department to investigate possible misbehavior," Sen. Mitch McConnell said at a press conference. | Drew Angerer/Getty Images congress McConnell backs effort to investigate alleged bias against Trump at DOJ

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) said Tuesday that he supported Sen. Lindsey Graham’s plans to investigate alleged political bias against President Donald Trump at the Justice Department and the FBI.

“I think it’s not inappropriate for the chairman of the Judiciary with jurisdiction over the Justice Department to investigate possible misbehavior," McConnell said at a press conference. “Certainly the House is not going to miss an opportunity in the coming months to look at what they perceive to be things that require oversight.”


McConnell said Graham “has raised a legitimate question.”

Graham, who is chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, said Monday that he wants to look at whether law enforcement agencies influenced the 2016 election to stop then-candidate President Donald Trump’s election. Sen. Ron Johnson (R-Wisc.), chair of the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, said he would be willing to work and coordinate with Graham.

Democrats oppose Graham’s efforts and say that he should move on.

“That’s been investigated,” said Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) at a press conference Tuesday. “Sen. Graham could better spend his time by helping us get Leader McConnell to remove his blocking of making the [Mueller] report public.”

Schumer requested Monday that the Senate approve by unanimous consent a non-binding resolution passed unanimously by the House that calls for the full public release of the report. McConnell blocked the effort and said the Senate should give Attorney General William Barr the opportunity to continue his work without interruption.

Graham said he’ll speak with Barr Tuesday night about releasing a redacted version of Mueller’s report.

“I hope he’ll be as transparent as he possibly can and at that point maybe it’s the appropriate time to discuss whether we think it’s a good idea to throw innocent people under the bus and to release classified information,” McConnell said.

