Sens. Johnson and Grassley press AG Garland about whether Susan Hennessy has a role in Durham probe

Sens. Chuck Grassley of Iowa and Ron Johnson of Wisconsin are pressing Attorney General Merrick Garland for answers about whether Susan Hennessey has any role in the Durham probe or access to information related to it. Hennessy announced in May that she was "honored to be joining the extraordinary team at the Department of Justice in the National Security Division." 

The Republican lawmakers in their letter to the attorney general pointed to past comments from Hennessy and declared: "Ms. Hennessey's partisan comments show a clear political bias that undercuts her ability to impartially work on some matters within the NSD's purview, including the Durham inquiry." 

Hennessey had previously been a lawyer for the National Security Agency, and then was the executive editor of Lawfare, a national security blog. 

The lawmakers inquired about whether Hennessy has any role in the probe, and if she does they want a description of her role. They also asked whether she is authorized to access any part of the inquiry, and if she is authorized they want to know whether she has utilized that authorization — if she has utilized it, they want to know for what she has utilized it. They asked whether Hennessy has recused herself from all issues pertaining to the Durham inquiry, and if she has, they want "records relating to her recusal obligations, including a recusal memo."

Johnson and Grassley asked when the Durham inquiry will be finished. They requested a list of every Justice Department employee who will have the ability to examine draft and final versions of the Durham report and they specifically asked whether Hennessy will have access to any draft and final reports.

In their letter the senators said that Garland has not fully responded to two letters they sent earlier this year raising concerns about another DOJ figure.

They told Garland that "on February 3, 2021, and March 9, 2021, we wrote to you about the hiring of Nicholas McQuaid as Acting Assistant Attorney General for the Criminal Division. In both letters we raised concerns about potential conflicts of interest in light of the fact that McQuaid was employed at Latham & Watkins until January 20, 2021, and worked with Christopher Clark, who Hunter Biden reportedly hired to work on his federal criminal case. You have failed to fully respond to those letters, including producing McQuaid's recusal memo, should one exist."