Rep. Goodlatte Explains Why His Staff Helped On Trump's Executive Order

Source: Talking Points Memo



By LAUREN FOX Published JANUARY 31, 2017, 12:20 PM EDT

During a Republican conference meeting Tuesday morning, House Judiciary Committee Chairman Bob Goodlatte (R-VA) tried to quell concerns within the conference that his staff had assisted President Donald Trump's administration with drafting an executive order on immigration that even Republican leaders did not know was coming.

Members and staff in the meeting said afterward that Goodlatte walked through the process and explained that he had had staff who served on the transition team when Trump became the nominee.

On Tuesday afternoon, the House Judiciary Committee released a statement praising the work of the staffers.

“My staff on the House Judiciary Committee are some of the best on Capitol Hill. They are experts in their respective fields and I proudly allowed them to provide their expertise to the Trump transition team on immigration law," Goodlatte said. "To be clear, while they gave advice to the new Administration, they did not have decision making authority on the policy. The final decision was made at the highest levels of the Trump Administration, and I support the President’s executive order."

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