The Justice Department told Congress on Wednesday that lawmakers can interview an FBI informant who brought information to investigators during the Obama Administration about possible wrongdoing involving the sale of a company that owned U.S. uranium reserves to Russia's nuclear authority.
Justice Department spokeswoman Sarah Isgur Flores said the unnamed informant can now give "any information or documents he has concerning alleged corruption or bribery involving transactions in the uranium market, including but not limited to anything related to Vadim Mikerin, Rosatom, Tenex, Uranium One, or the Clinton Foundation."
Let's get the truth," tweeted Rep. Ron DeSantis (R-FL), who will help lead the investigation of the matter in the House Oversight Committee.
The decision by the Trump Administration came a day after GOP leaders on a pair of House committees announced plans to probe the circumstances surrounding the approval of the sale of Uranium One to the Russian nuclear authority, Rosatom, as Republicans raised questions about ties to the Clintons and the Clinton Foundation.
"According to the news reports, the informant has information regarding payments made by Russian executives to a U.S. entity that supported President Bill Clinton’s foundation," said Sen. Charles Grassley (R-IA), who not only pressed the Trump Administration for information on the matter, but this week suggested a bigger move - the appointment of a special counsel to probe the issue.
Last week, President Donald Trump had complained loudly about the lack of attention to the Uranium One sale, which had garnered press attention several years ago, but no hearings in the GOP-controlled Congress.
On Wednesday, he compared it to a historic American political scandal.
"I think the uranium sale to Russia and the way it was done, so underhanded, with tremendous amounts of money being passed -- I actually think that's Watergate, modern age," the President told reporters at the White House.
That statement was quickly picked up by social media supporters of Mr. Trump.
As for Democrats, they said it was all politics.
"Apparently, if President Trump says ‘jump,’ House Republicans say ‘how high’?" said Rep. Elijah Cummings (D-MD), as Democrats expressed their disapproval of a pair of new GOP investigations that are focused on Hillary and Bill Clinton and the Clinton Foundation.
Former officials in the Obama Administration have scoffed at claims that there was any wrongdoing involved, saying the Uranium One sale was approved by a variety of federal agencies, and that then-Secretary of State Hillary Clinton was not involved in any of those decisions or discussions.
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