THREAD: Matt Whitaker’s problems go beyond his criticism of the Mueller investigation. He also has a clear conflict of interest in his relationship with Sam Clovis. (1/7)
You may remember Clovis as the Trump campaign adviser who hired Carter Page—whom the FBI was already investigating as a potential Russian asset—and George Papadopoulos. (2/7) politico.com/magazine/story…
That makes him a key witness in the Russia investigation—which is probably why both Mueller and the Senate Intel Committee reportedly interviewed him last year. (3/7) nbcnews.com/news/us-news/t…
In fact, Clovis’s entanglement was enough to sink his nomination to head the USDA (a position for which he was also utterly unqualified). (4/7) politico.com/story/2017/11/…
Clovis also happens to know Whitaker pretty well, after Whitaker chaired his 2014 campaign to be Iowa’s state treasurer. (5/7) cnn.com/2018/11/07/pol…
Unlike the president, Clovis isn’t backpedaling away from Whitaker, whom he told Reuters was “a dear friend”—and a “sounding board” while he was on Trump’s 2016 campaign. (6/7) reuters.com/article/us-usa…
That friendship is yet another strike against Whitaker, an already unqualified, likely illegal appointee whom every sign suggests was picked for the sole purpose of running Mueller’s investigation into the ground. (7/7)
nytimes.com/2018/11/09/us/…
nytimes.com/2018/11/09/us/…
