House Republicans on Friday fired back at Rep. Jerry Nadler’s version of testimony from former Manhattan acting US Attorney Geoffrey Berman, saying he actually exonerated the Trump administration of any impropriety in his ouster.
According to a five-page memo written by Republican staff on the House Judiciary Committee, Berman undercut the core insinuation from Democrats that he was canned to undermine investigations of President Trump or his inner circle.
“Although Committee Democrats half-heartedly allege the Attorney General’s offer of other positions in the Administration proves a nefarious but unspecified plot, Berman testified that his removal was not related to concerns the Attorney General had with his management of any cases,” the memo says.
Berman testified to the committee behind closed doors Thursday. The Republican memo was sent to GOP lawmakers on the committee and summarizes the hearing.
Nadler, the Democratic chairman of the committee, said Thursday that Attorney General William Barr may have committed a crime last month when he offered Berman prestigious new jobs if he would resign voluntarily.
Berman refused to resign and was fired by Trump, who nominated Securities and Exchange Commission Chairman Jay Clayton to replace him.
Barr told Berman if he voluntarily resigned, he could lead the Justice Department’s civil division in Washington or replace Clayton as SEC chairman. Berman had not been presidentially nominated as US attorney and was serving in a temporary capacity since January 2018.
In Nadler’s remarks to reporters Thursday, he said Barr may have committed crimes dangling new positions to lure Berman away from his post.
“We don’t know yet if the attorney general’s conduct is criminal, but that kind of quid pro quo is awfully close to bribery,” Nadler said.
But the Republican memo said Nadler was serving up a “one-sided view of Berman’s testimony.”
“Berman never suggested the prospect of a quid pro quo concerning his duties as U.S. Attorney for the SDNY,” the Republican memo says, referring to the Southern District of New York.
“Although Berman briefly suggested that he thought the Attorney General’s offer for a different position could be considered a quid pro quo, the evidence does not support an exchange of any real value. The Attorney General had decided to replace Berman and merely offered him the opportunity to continue his service with the Department at the Civil Division out of a desire to achieve an amicable transition.”