Rep. Jason Chaffetz resigning from Congress as of June 30

<p>Rep. Jason Chaffetz announced Thursday he will resign from Congress next month, a move that calls into question the future of the House Oversight Committee's investigation he promised to lead about President Donald Trump's firing of the FBI director and his presidential campaign's ties with Russia.</p>

News 12 Staff

May 18, 2017, 10:42 PM

Updated 2,545 days ago

Share:

By MICHELLE L. PRICE and BRADY McCOMBS
Associated Press
SALT LAKE CITY (AP) - Rep. Jason Chaffetz announced Thursday he will resign from Congress next month, a move that calls into question the future of the House Oversight Committee's investigation he promised to lead about President Donald Trump's firing of the FBI director and his presidential campaign's ties with Russia.
Chaffetz made the announcement a day after tweeting that he had invited ex-FBI Director James Comey to testify next week at a hearing of the oversight committee he chairs.
Comey was fired last week as the FBI investigates whether Trump's presidential campaign associates had colluded with Russia to influence the outcome in his behalf.
The Utah Republican, who had just started his fifth term in Congress, used his post as chair of the oversight committee to doggedly investigate Hillary Clinton before the 2016 presidential election and raise his political profile.
But he mainly declined to go after Trump until this week.
On Tuesday, he vowed to get the memos ex-FBI Director James Comey reportedly wrote about his meeting with Trump in which the president allegedly asked him to shut down the FBI investigation into ousted National Security Adviser Michael Flynn.
His letter announcing his resignation did not mention the investigation, focusing solely about his decision about wanting to spend more time with family. It was not immediately clear how the House Oversight Committee would proceed.
Chavez said his last day will be June 30. His announcement came after he said last month he would not seek re-election in 2018 and was considering leaving his post before his current term ends.
The former kicker for the Mormon-owned Brigham Young University football team was first elected to the U.S. House of Representatives in 2008. He strolled to four-easy re-elections in his Republican-friendly district and became chairman of the house oversight committee in 2015.
He has not ruled out running for another office, such as Utah governor.
Prior to his time in office, he worked in communications for more than a decade and served as campaign manager for former Utah Gov. Jon Huntsman, Jr.
Copyright 2017 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
News 12 has recently updated to a brand new version of our iOS and Android apps. If you don’t have auto updates enabled on your devices, head to the App Store or Google Play Store to update to the latest version. This will ensure you keep getting up-to-date local news, traffic and weather information.


More from News 12
1:39
Officials: 1 person injured in fire that destroyed Watchung home

Officials: 1 person injured in fire that destroyed Watchung home

2:36
Tractor-trailer carrying logs overturns near Little Falls day care playground; no injuries reported

Tractor-trailer carrying logs overturns near Little Falls day care playground; no injuries reported

2:08
STORM WATCH: Early morning storms expected to impact Wednesday commute

STORM WATCH: Early morning storms expected to impact Wednesday commute

Police arrest man accused in 15 burglaries in Lakewood and Toms River

Police arrest man accused in 15 burglaries in Lakewood and Toms River

2:06
Vietnam Veterans’ Memorial and Museum reopens to visitors following renovations

Vietnam Veterans’ Memorial and Museum reopens to visitors following renovations

0:24
Explore the Bubble Planet this summer at American Dream

Explore the Bubble Planet this summer at American Dream

2:03
Deadline to get a Real ID is in one year. Here's what you need to know

Deadline to get a Real ID is in one year. Here's what you need to know

2:23
Paterson public safety director derides layoff of sheriff officers, closure of Passaic County Jail

Paterson public safety director derides layoff of sheriff officers, closure of Passaic County Jail

0:28
TSA officers arrest Florida man for having loaded gun packed in carry-on bag at Newark airport

TSA officers arrest Florida man for having loaded gun packed in carry-on bag at Newark airport

0:35
Police: Elmwood Park man drove drunk, struck 8 vehicles; 3 injured

Police: Elmwood Park man drove drunk, struck 8 vehicles; 3 injured

0:25
Paterson man faces slew of charges in connection to armed kidnappings

Paterson man faces slew of charges in connection to armed kidnappings

2:03
Best of New Jersey: A taste of everything the Dunellen Hotel has to offer

Best of New Jersey: A taste of everything the Dunellen Hotel has to offer

0:29
Walmart reaches settlement in class action lawsuit

Walmart reaches settlement in class action lawsuit

0:33
Atlantic City man sentenced for drug induced deaths of tourists

Atlantic City man sentenced for drug induced deaths of tourists

0:26
Man killed in two-car Egg Harbor Township crash

Man killed in two-car Egg Harbor Township crash

0:48
Congressional action may help New Jersey seniors targeted by scams

Congressional action may help New Jersey seniors targeted by scams

0:37
Police: Man arrested after locking woman in crawl space in Atlantic City

Police: Man arrested after locking woman in crawl space in Atlantic City

2:09
Middletown moves forward with cheaper parking to offset NJ Transit fare increase

Middletown moves forward with cheaper parking to offset NJ Transit fare increase

0:48
Authorities: Construction worker who suffered fatal fall worked for K&D Contractors

Authorities: Construction worker who suffered fatal fall worked for K&D Contractors

0:21
Rutgers president to testify before Congress on antisemitism on college campuses

Rutgers president to testify before Congress on antisemitism on college campuses