House Oversight Committee chair Rep. Trey Gowdy, R-S.C., released a statement Monday questioning how the appointment of a U.S. attorney is supposed to help deliver the cache of documents Congress requested months ago.
The Department of Justice earlier Monday announced Jon Lausch will be overseeing the job of producing documents related to Hillary Clinton's private email server.
"I am trying, without much success, to understand the recent announcement by the Department of Justice with respect to the months old request for documents by Congress," Gowdy wrote.
Gowdy wrote his issue is not with Lausch.
"I struggle to understand what has been happening over the previous months since Congress was assured DOJ and FBI were working on the document request," Gowdy wrote. "I also struggle to understand U.S. Attorney Lausch's specific role.
"Congress requested these documents months ago. Congress has consistently been assured the production was in progress. How is injecting someone new into an ongoing review and production process calculated to expedite the process?" Gowdy wrote.
"The Inspector General has been provided access to over a million documents. Congress has received a fraction of those documents," Gowdy wrote. "Congress is not a FOIA applicant to be given the least amount of material possible, material that is so heavily redacted, it is essentially meaningless."