Story highlights
Chaffetz has so far declined to investigate President Donald Trump's potential conflicts of interest
Trump's administration has been beset by damaging leaks over its first month
Two top House Republicans asked the Inspector General on Wednesday to investigate leaks surrounding the ouster of former national security adviser Michael Flynn.
The request came in a letter from Rep. Jason Chaffetz, the chairman of the House Oversight Committee, and Rep. Bob Goodlatte, chairman of the House Judiciary Committee.
“We request that your office begin an immediate investigation into whether classified information was mishandled here,” the letter to the Inspector General read.
Trump’s administration has been beset by damaging leaks over its first month, including reports of Flynn’s contact with the Russian ambassador to the US in December that ultimately led to his downfall.
Trump himself has decried such leaks as the “real scandal.”
Chaffetz, a Utah Republican, has so far declined to investigate President Donald Trump’s potential conflicts of interest or potential ties to Russia between himself or his aides.
After White House counselor Kellyanne Conway promoted Ivanka Trump’s clothing line in a televised interview from the White House, Chaffetz asked the Office of Government Ethics in a joint letter to review the potential legal violation for public employees endorsing products.
In their letter, Chaffetz and Goodlatte called on the government watchdog within the Department of Justice to investigate this leaking of potentially classified information, citing “serious concerns” over the protection of classified information, a potential violation of laws separating intelligence gathering from law enforcement and a possible risk to national security.