Feinstein statement on Benczkowski nomination to lead DOJ's Criminal Division- Wow!
Washington—Senate Judiciary Committee Ranking Member Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) today spoke at a hearing to consider the nomination of Brian Benczkowski to lead the Justice Department’s Criminal Division:
Today we’re also considering Mr. Brian Benczkowski. I want to welcome him back to the committee. He previously served as staff director for Senator Sessions when he was ranking member. So, many of us do remember him.
Mr. Benczkowski has been nominated by President Trump to head the Criminal Division at Justice. The Criminal Division, as I think most people know, is responsible for enforcement of all federal criminal law in our country. It’s an important position for the rule of law in this country.
We must assess today whether Mr. Benczkowski is qualified to lead this division. And that includes the propriety of his representation this year of Alfa Bank. This is the Russian bank that the media reported had been federally investigated for potential connections between its servers and the Trump Organization.
I don’t know what investigations there were, if any, so we have requested a briefing. And I want to thank the chairman for helping to facilitate that briefing with the Justice Department.
I very much appreciate that Mr. Benczkowski has agreed to speak publicly about his work for Alfa Bank and I think it’s an important topic to understand given the position he’s been nominated for.
As I understand it, Mr. Benczkowski participated in President Trump’s transition team from September of last year to January of this year. He led the transition team’s work at the Justice Department, which is now led by his former boss, Attorney General Jeff Sessions.
Mr. Benczkowski told the committee that the retention of former FBI Director James Comey was discussed by those on the transition team, including himself.
In March, within two months of leaving the transition team, Mr. Benczkowski agreed to represent Alfa Bank.
Specifically, his work for Alfa Bank went to the heart of the reported investigations. He worked with a computer forensics firm to determine any ties between servers of Alfa Bank and the Trump Organization, and also whether and how private server information had gotten out of the ban.
Additionally, he reviewed the “Steele dossier,” a private investigator’s file on alleged links between Russia and the Trump campaign. He did this for Alfa Bank to consider suing Buzz Feed for defamation over their online publication of the dossier. Alfa Bank, in fact, did sue Buzz Feed on May 26 of this year.
In April, while Mr. Benczkowski was working for Alfa Bank, Attorney General Sessions’s chief of staff asked him about his interest in leading the Criminal Division.
Mr. Benczkowski’s law firm then notified Alfa Bank of his potential nomination for the Trump administration. But the fact that Mr. Benczkowski continued representing Alfa Bank, until the day of his nomination, which was June 6, raises questions. After he found out about his potential nomination, why did he continue his representation of Alfa Bank?
It is clear to me that Mr. Benczkowski is knowledgeable about issues related to an ongoing investigation. So I asked before this hearing if he would commit himself to recusing—not only from cases involving Alfa Bank as his former client, but also matters within Special Counsel Mueller’s investigation.
He would not commit to recusing himself. I’m concerned with his refusal, especially given the position for which he has been nominated. So I look forward to hearing from the witness on this point. Thank you very much, Mr. Chairman.”
https://www.feinstein.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/press-releases?id=71649645-8A75-4C9A-8C45-8CEA26A4D4B7
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