Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley Charles (Chuck) Ernest GrassleyThe Hill's 12:30 Report: Ginsburg lies in repose Top GOP senators say Hunter Biden's work 'cast a shadow' over Obama Ukraine policy Read: Senate GOP's controversial Biden report MORE (R-Iowa) is placing a hold on President Trump Donald John TrumpBiden on Trump's refusal to commit to peaceful transfer of power: 'What country are we in?' Romney: 'Unthinkable and unacceptable' to not commit to peaceful transition of power Two Louisville police officers shot amid Breonna Taylor grand jury protests MORE’s counterintelligence chief nominee.

Grassley said he would hold up William Evanina, Trump’s pick to be the director of national counterintelligence and security center because the intelligence community has not responded to congressional inquiries in a timely matter.

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“My objection is not intended to question the credentials of Mr. Evanina in any way,” Grassley said in a statement in the Congressional Record. “However, the executive branch must recognize that it has an ongoing obligation to respond to congressional inquiries in a timely and reasonable manner.”

Trump formally nominated Evanina in February. Evanina is already filling the position, but lawmakers have decided it should now require Senate confirmation.

His nomination was approved unanimously by the Senate Intelligence Committee and sent to the full Senate last month.



Grassley’s hold can't formally block the Senate from voting on Evanina. But it would require Majority Leader Mitch McConnell Addison (Mitch) Mitchell McConnellFEC flags McConnell campaign over suspected accounting errors Poll: 59 percent think president elected in November should name next Supreme Court justice Mark Kelly: Arizona Senate race winner should be sworn in 'promptly' MORE (R-Ky.) to file cloture and eat up days of floor time in order for him to be confirmed.



Dan Coats Daniel (Dan) Ray CoatsFBI chief says Russia is trying to interfere in election to undermine Biden The Hill's Morning Report - Sponsored by The Air Line Pilots Association - Trump, Biden renew push for Latino support Former Intel chief had 'deep suspicions' that Putin 'had something on Trump': book MORE, the director of national intelligence, said in a statement provided to The Hill that Evanina is "eminently qualified" and the intelligence community will work with Grassley on his concerns.



"The Intelligence Community takes seriously its obligation to keep Congress currently and fully informed, and any suggestion that we do not fulfill this obligation is misplaced. We look forward to resolving any concerns on this and other pending nominations with Senator Grassley and the intelligence oversight committees as quickly as possible," Coats said.



Grassley pointed to text messages between Peter Strzok and Lisa Page — two FBI officials whose text messages critical of President Trump caused a scandal — for part of the reason for his decision to hold up the nomination.



“In some of the text messages, an individual named ‘Evanina’ is mentioned in the context of government officials having briefed then Vice President-elect Pence on national security related issues and planning to brief him a second time,” Grassley said.



He added that the Senate Judiciary Committee “needs to more fully understand the meaning of the apparent references to Mr. Evanina in the Strzok-Page texts and will need to obtain further context from him and the Justice Department.”



Grassley also pointed to outstanding request for information, including one dating back to November 2017, as another reason he will not let the nomination move through.



“The committee has recently experienced difficulty in obtaining relevant documents and briefings from the Justice Department and the Office of the Director of National Intelligence, ODNI, for example,” Grassley added.



“I ... object to Mr. Evanina’s confirmation until and unless the ODNI provides a fulsome response to my letters,” Grassley continued.



Trump administration officials separately provided a closed-door briefing to House Oversight and Government Reform Committee Chairman Trey Gowdy Harold (Trey) Watson GowdySunday shows preview: Election integrity dominates as Nov. 3 nears Tim Scott invokes Breonna Taylor, George Floyd in Trump convention speech Sunday shows preview: Republicans gear up for national convention, USPS debate continues in Washington MORE (R-S.C.) and members of the “Gang of Eight” — the leadership in both parties of both chambers and leadership on the House and Senate Intelligence committees — on a controversial informant tied to the probe into Russia's 2016 election interference.



Grassley, as well as Sens. John Cornyn John CornynThe Hill's Campaign Report: GOP set to ask SCOTUS to limit mail-in voting Liberal super PAC launches ads targeting vulnerable GOP senators over SCOTUS fight Senate GOP faces pivotal moment on pick for Supreme Court MORE (R-Texas) and Lindsey Graham Lindsey Olin GrahamSenate GOP aims to confirm Trump court pick by Oct. 29: report The Hill's Campaign Report: GOP set to ask SCOTUS to limit mail-in voting Senate GOP sees early Supreme Court vote as political booster shot MORE (R-S.C.), requested a similar briefing but have yet to hear back.



“No Senate Judiciary Committee member was invited. Thus far, the committee's attempts to schedule an equivalent briefing have been ignored,” Grassley said.

--This report was updated on June 6 at 10:46 a.m.