Rep. Anna Paulina Luna pushed back against claims that a Department of Justice investigation into perjury allegations against Powell is politically motivated, saying the referral was made last year and is based on Powell’s own statements, not partisan considerations.
Luna addressed criticism from several senators who have questioned the DOJ’s actions, arguing that the issue is straightforward and rooted in longstanding rules governing testimony before Congress.
“Yeah, look, you can’t perjure yourself to Congress,” Luna said.
“And regardless of what the senators, I don’t even know if we want to call them senators, because I don’t think that they’re actually representing the interests of their voters.”
Luna specifically rejected assertions from some Republican senators that the investigation amounts to targeted prosecution by the President, singling out Sen. Lisa Murkowski by name.
“But regardless of what some of these Republican senators are saying about, you know, this being targeted prosecution by the President, specifically Murkowski, I actually just said today, you know this criminal referrals, one that I did directly, and I sent last year,” Luna said.
According to Luna, the referral that triggered the investigation was submitted well before the current political debate and was based on Powell’s own testimony. She said accusations that the probe is partisan ignore the timeline and the substance of the allegations.
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“And so for people to say that this is somehow partisan, and now somehow the DOJ is opening up this investigation, we sent that request because of his own statements, Powell’s own statements, where he perjured himself to Senate, and the Senate, as well as Congress,” Luna said.
She emphasized that the same standards apply across both chambers of Congress when it comes to truthful testimony.
“On the House side has the exact same rules. You can’t lie to Congress,” Luna said.
“Anyone else would go to jail for that.”
Luna argued that accountability for false statements should not depend on a person’s position or political standing, stating that perjury before Congress carries criminal consequences.
“So I’m the first person that says, if you’re going to do it, you should be held in criminal in criminal court for it,” she said.
She added that Powell will now be required to address the allegations directly and suggested that attempts to link the investigation to unrelated policy issues are misplaced.
“And so I think that he’ll have explaining to do,” Luna said. “I don’t think it has anything to do with the interest rates.”
Luna also criticized what she described as selective framing of the issue in media coverage, saying that the focus on recent developments ignores the fact that the referral was submitted last year.
“But I also find it very interesting that people are failing to go back to the point that we sent this referral last year, and they’re trying to make it current, as if it’s targeted and it’s not,” she said.
She concluded by saying she expects continued pushback and pledged to challenge what she characterized as misleading reporting on the matter.
“So we’ll be fighting the fake news all day long on that one,” Luna said.
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