Senate panel questions Trump nominee Jay Clayton over election comments and press subpoenas

Jay Clayton, President Donald Trump’s nominee for director of national intelligence, appeared before the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence and declined to state who won the 2020 presidential election, saying only that he was not an election denier and that Joe Biden was certified. Senator Jon Ossoff pressed Clayton on whether former director Tulsi Gabbard participated in a raid of a Fulton County, Georgia, election office, noting that Clayton first learned of the incident during a private meeting with Ossoff. When asked if the director of national intelligence should oversee domestic search warrants at sensitive election facilities, Clayton did not respond, and Ossoff said the answers lacked credibility.

The hearing also addressed Clayton’s earlier comments on voter fraud. Senator Angus King asked for clarification after Clayton told CNBC that the United States had “a deep problem with voting” and that election audit trails were insufficient. Clayton said he could not definitively state whether voter fraud existed without better processes.

Senators Michael Bennet and Kirsten Gillibrand questioned Clayton about recent subpoenas served to New York Times reporters in connection with a story on a new Air Force One gifted to Trump. Clayton said he could not discuss the investigation’s specifics but expressed confidence that existing procedures protect the First Amendment and do not intimidate journalists.

The committee is expected to vote on Clayton’s nomination next week, after which the full Senate will consider the appointment. The nomination has been contentious, with Democrats raising concerns about Clayton’s statements on the 2020 election, his handling of press subpoenas, and his prior role as U.S. attorney.