Chaffetz: Jarrett has 'tentacles' in every issue at White House
By Justin Sink - 10/25/13 02:32 PM ET
White House senior adviser Valerie Jarrett “seems to have her tentacles into every issue and every topic” at the White House, Rep. Jason Chaffetz (R-Utah) said Friday.
The Utah congressman was discussing the rocky rollout of the ObamaCare insurance exchanges with conservative radio host Laura Ingraham, who suggested that the botched website might have been the result of the administration hiring contractors close to the president's reelection campaign.
Ingraham then said that “all roads lead back to” Jarrett, noting her involvement in “meetings as this thing was being formulated.”
“She seems to have her tentacles into every issue and every topic,” Chaffetz responded. “Her name ultimately always comes up.”
Conservatives have routinely expressed suspicion about Jarrett's role within President Obama’s inner circle. The former Chicago lawyer and businesswoman has been a top adviser to the president since his election in 2008.
Chaffetz said it was the “job, role, and responsibility of Congress” to investigate who in the administration ordered contractors “how to do this and program this stuff.”
Chaffetz is a member of the House Oversight Committee, which on Friday threatened to subpoena the Department of Health and Human Services over requests for documents about problems with the ObamaCare website.
The administration has said it intends to comply with Chairman Darrell Issa's (R-Calif.) subpoena, but said it would take time to respond to the broad requests for information.
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