Is Nadler's Conduct Illegal?

Jerry Nadler, a Democrat who has been a congressman since 1992, has been accused by House Republican Leader Kevin McCarthy of asking Attorney General Barr to break the law. Nadler, who represents the Upper West Side and Lincoln Center in Congress, has had a long career as a powerful voice for civil rights. He has helped pass legislation on domestic violence, child support enforcement, and the protection of people with AIDS from discrimination. However, his actions regarding Attorney General Barr have brought his ability to be a chairman into question. McCarthy claims that Nadler is failing in the most basic motions of being a chairman and is asking Barr to break the law. Nadler has denied these claims, and it is unclear whether he is actually breaking the law with his requests.

Kevin McCarthy accuses Nadler of asking Attorney General Barr to break the law

House Republican Leader Kevin McCarthy has accused Chairman Jerry Nadler of asking Attorney General Barr to break the law. McCarthy made these comments during an appearance on Fox News' "The Daily Briefing" with Dana Perino. He questioned Nadler's ability to serve as chairman, citing his "absurd" request to Attorney General Barr as well as his failure to follow basic committee procedures.

McCarthy stated that Nadler attempted to change the rules of the Judiciary Committee by allowing a staffer to interview a cabinet member, which has never been permitted in the history of Congress. He also claimed that Nadler has not exercised his right to read the redacted portions of the Mueller report. McCarthy suggested that Nadler's true intention is to hold Attorney General Barr in contempt if he refuses to break the law.

In addition to his criticism of Nadler, McCarthy also discussed the Democrats' refusal to acknowledge the crisis at the southern border and the rising cost of prescription drugs. He argued that the Democrats are withholding money from President Trump due to political differences and emphasized the need to close loopholes and provide funding to address the issue. McCarthy expressed concern about the potential impact of importing drugs on innovation and prices. He highlighted bipartisan efforts in the Senate and House to address drug pricing transparency.

McCarthy concluded by criticizing the Judiciary Committee's plan to hold Attorney General Barr in contempt for refusing to break the law, calling it "absurd." He asserted that the committee should focus on addressing the issues at the border and finding bipartisan solutions to lower drug prices.

McCarthy claims Nadler is failing in basic duties as chairman

House Republican Leader Kevin McCarthy has claimed that Chairman Jerry Nadler is failing in basic duties as chairman and has questioned his ability to be one. McCarthy has alleged that Nadler's request to Attorney General Barr was "absurd" and that he is failing in the most basic of motions of being a chairman.

McCarthy has pointed out that at the beginning of every Congress, each committee adopts rules for their committee. Historically, the Judiciary Committee has never allowed a staffer to interview a cabinet member. However, after Attorney General Barr agreed to come to the committee, Chairman Nadler attempted to change the rules of the committee. McCarthy has argued that this attempt to change the rules demonstrates Nadler's failure as a chairman.

Furthermore, McCarthy has accused Nadler of failing to perform the most basic duties of a chairman, such as reading the redacted portions of the Mueller report. He has also suggested that Nadler is asking Attorney General Barr to break the law and that if Barr does not comply, Nadler will hold him in contempt. McCarthy has expressed concern over the Judiciary Committee's focus on holding the Attorney General in contempt instead of addressing more pressing issues, such as the crisis at the southern border and the rising cost of prescription drugs.

McCarthy's statements highlight his criticism of Nadler's performance as chairman and his belief that Nadler is falling short of fulfilling his responsibilities effectively.

Nadler tries to change Judiciary Committee rules

In 2022, House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jerry Nadler, a Democrat from New York, found himself at the centre of controversy when he attempted to change the committee's longstanding rules regarding the interviewing of cabinet members by staff members. This move came after Attorney General William Barr agreed to appear before the committee, as he had previously done in the Senate.

The Judiciary Committee has traditionally prohibited staff members from interviewing cabinet members, a rule that has been in place throughout the committee's history. However, Chairman Nadler's attempt to change this rule sparked accusations of partisanship and concerns about his ability to lead the committee effectively.

The controversy surrounding Nadler's actions was further exacerbated by his threat to hold Attorney General Barr in contempt if he refused to break the law. This prompted criticism from House Republican Leader Kevin McCarthy, who questioned Nadler's competence and suggested that he had failed to fulfil the basic duties of a chairman.

The incident highlighted the political tensions within the committee and raised questions about the appropriate conduct of its members and staff. It is worth noting that Nadler has a long history in politics, having served in various political roles since 1976, including as a member and former chairman of the House Judiciary Committee, where he oversaw legal and regulatory reform, anti-trust laws, civil liberties, and proposed amendments to the Constitution.

Despite the controversy, Nadler has continued to be an active member of the committee and has expressed his commitment to protecting vulnerable communities and upholding democratic ideals. In 2025, he stepped down from his position as the top Democrat on the committee, endorsing Representative Jamie Raskin for the role instead.

Nadler accused of not reading the redacted Mueller report

House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jerry Nadler has been accused of not reading the redacted Mueller report. In a statement, Nadler said that the Mueller report "outlines disturbing evidence that President Trump engaged in obstruction of justice and other misconduct". Nadler also accused Attorney General William Barr of withholding information from Congress and undermining the Department of Justice to protect Trump.

In response to these accusations, House Republican Leader Kevin McCarthy joined Fox News' "The Daily Briefing" with Dana Perino to discuss Nadler's "absurd" behaviour. McCarthy stated that "Chairman Nadler is Asking Attorney General Barr to Break the Law". He went on to say that "Chairman Nadler has not even gone down — and he has the right to do it — to read the redacted portions inside the Mueller report".

The Mueller report, officially titled "Report On The Investigation Into Russian Interference In The 2016 Presidential Election", is a 448-page report that was publicly released by the Department of Justice on April 18, 2019. The report details the findings of former Special Counsel Robert Mueller's investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 United States presidential election, as well as allegations of conspiracy between Donald Trump's presidential campaign and Russia, and obstruction of justice.

The report concluded that there was "substantial evidence" that President Trump attempted to prevent investigations into his campaign and his own conduct. However, due to the Department of Justice policy that a sitting president could not be indicted, Mueller's office did not make a traditional charging decision. Instead, they conducted a thorough investigation to preserve evidence for future investigators.

Following the release of the report, Attorney General Barr was accused of misrepresenting the report's conclusions and withholding information from Congress. Barr claimed that the report showed no collusion between the Trump campaign and Russia, and that there was insufficient evidence to charge Trump with obstruction of justice. However, Mueller later expressed concerns that Barr's summary letter did not accurately capture the context, nature, and substance of the investigation's findings.

McCarthy criticises Democrats' refusal to acknowledge the crisis at the southern border

House Republican Leader Kevin McCarthy criticised Democrats for their refusal to acknowledge the crisis at the southern US border. McCarthy appeared on Fox News' "The Daily Briefing" with Dana Perino, where he discussed the issue. He highlighted that even The New York Times, typically aligned with Democrats, had published an editorial acknowledging the crisis and calling on Democrats to provide funding to address the issue. McCarthy emphasised the urgency of the situation, stating that record numbers of people were crossing the border, overwhelming the system. He also noted that the Democrats' refusal to provide funding was solely due to the request coming from President Trump.

McCarthy's comments come as Senator Tim Scott also called out the Biden administration for refusing to acknowledge the border crisis. During a Senate Finance Committee hearing, Scott challenged Chris Magnus, President Biden's nominee to head US Customs and Border Protection (CBP), on his refusal to call the situation a crisis, despite record-high illegal border crossings. Scott emphasised that millions of Americans recognise the crisis and that the terminology used to describe the situation is important. He further questioned Magnus on the administration's immigration authority and the vetting process for individuals arriving from Afghanistan.

The southern border crisis has been characterised by a significant increase in illegal border crossings, with over 200,000 people crossing in July and more than one million in the last fiscal year. Despite this, Democrats have been reluctant to acknowledge the severity of the situation, which has led to criticism from Republican leaders such as McCarthy and Scott. McCarthy emphasised the need to close loopholes and provide funding to address the crisis, while Scott called for a unified effort to fix the broken system.

The refusal to acknowledge the crisis by Democrats has been a point of contention for Republicans, who argue that political differences should not prevent collaboration on addressing the serious problems facing the nation. McCarthy and Scott's comments highlight the growing concern over the situation at the southern border and the need for a bipartisan effort to implement effective solutions.

Frequently asked questions