FOX NEWS Rep Ratcliffe on DOJ oversight hearing with AG Sessions

Two minutes before the bottom of the hour, Texas Congressman John Ratcliffe questioned Attorney General Jeff Sessions about a special counsel for the Clintons. Did he like the answers? Well, we asked for his picture because he's going to be on soon. What I'm asking from you is to hear from you that you are prepared, no, that you are committed to go wherever the facts and evidence lead you, regardless of the political consequences for any political party or any person. Yes, I am, and the Department of Justice is. Well, is that true? Texas Congressman John Ratcliffe joins us now. You just saw him questioning Attorney General Jeff Sessions at a marathon hearing on Capitol Hill yesterday. The big question, will the AG assign a special counsel to investigate Hillary Clinton, the Clinton Foundation, and the Uranium One deal? Congressman Ratcliffe joins us now. Congressman, what did you conclude from five and a half hours of testimony yesterday on that big question? Well, Brian, I think what you heard from the Attorney General was that he's, much as that clip showed, he's willing to go where the facts and evidence lead, and if it requires a special counsel, he's prepared to see one be a second special counsel, prepared to see one be appointed. Those questions may come from folks within the Department of Justice, it may come from the Inspector General, it may come from any of the 93 U.S. attorneys, but we need answers to those questions, and the Attorney General agreed with me yesterday that the American people deserve nothing less. My opinion, watching the Attorney General get the information from you and people like Jim Jordan, he was hearing it in detail for the first time. Do you get that sense, too? Well, you've got to remember the scope of everything that falls within the Department of Justice, and this is a guy that has been recused from certain matters that are now at issue. So, you know, Brian, the other thing in that five and a half hours was the irony was very rich and the hypocrisy was very thick. I mean, you had Democrats for five and a half hours not talking about civil rights or gun violence or DACA or DREAMers. They spent their time with the Attorney General asking him questions about Russia, a matter from which he has recused himself because the Democrats demanded that he recuse himself and appoint a special counsel. Right. I want you to hear what you witnessed. One of your colleagues, Jim Jordan, who will be on at 815 today, was going back and forth. I think this would give clarity to people who had to work 9 to 5 yesterday. What's it going to take to actually get a special counsel? We will use the proper standards, and that's the only thing I can tell you, Mr. Jordan. Well, I appreciate that. You can have your idea, but sometimes we have to study what the facts are and to evaluate whether it meets the standard that requires a special counsel. So that's some of the exchange. That gives you an idea. He's not there yet. You know, people like Brigham came in, weighed in yesterday. When you have a special counsel, it becomes a wild west. And we're seeing that now with Paul Manafort being in trouble now for something that has nothing to do with Donald Trump. So that's the investigation gone wild to many. But real quick, he also said there were 27 separate investigations into leaks. What does that make you think? Well, that was one of the most important pieces of information that the attorney general did disclose yesterday. As you talked about, 27 matters where they're looking into the disclosure of classified information, possibly the illegal unmasking of Americans. And that's a marked increase. He related that there had only been nine cases over the prior three years. Why that's so important, Brian, as we know, when people disclose America's most sensitive national security information, there has to be consequences. And that's one of the things that I was most comforted to hear from the attorney general was that they've got the pedal to the metal with respect to holding people accountable for those types of violations of law, which are the most serious and the most damaging to our national security. If you want to stop future leaks, stop the ones in the past and scare the heck out of people to know that there will be hell to pay because you're doing it. You're hurting national security. Congressman, thanks so much. You could do a morning show. That's how fresh you look right now. Thanks, Brian. All right.