On Thursday, exactly one year after Donald Trump nominated Darrell Issa to serve as director of the U.S. Trade and Development Agency, the once—and perhaps future—California congressman finally arrived at the Senate Foreign Affairs Committee for his confirmation hearings. However, things did not go as planned.
New Jersey Sen. Robert Menendez, who is the committee’s top Democrat, began the day by calling for the hearings to be delayed, saying that information in Issa’s FBI background check was “problematic” and “potentially disqualifying.” Menendez didn’t reveal what those bogeys are, but Republican Sen. Jim Risch, the committee’s leader, agreed to postpone the hearings until the Trump administration gives Issa’s file to the full panel (only the chair and ranking member have seen it). Earlier this year, both Risch and Menendez asked the White House to release the FBI’s complete report on Issa, but Menendez says they never received a response.
Issa downplayed Menendez’s objections and argued that the senator was simply rehashing public information about the former congressman’s time in the Army nearly 50 years ago. Issa’s military career included a demotion and an “unsatisfactory” conduct rating, as well as an allegation that he stole another soldier’s car. (Issa was later twice arrested for auto theft as a civilian, then became very wealthy after creating the Viper car alarm system, which featured his voice saying, “Please step away from the car.”) However, Menendez said there was more troubling information in Issa’s file, adding, “If they were all public, then we wouldn’t be having the difficulty that we have.”
As it has for many Trump nominees, Issa’s confirmation process has taken forever to move forward, and during his time in purgatory, Issa seems to have come up with a backup plan: He recently formed an exploratory committee for a potential bid against GOP Rep. Duncan Hunter, who is scheduled to stand trial for corruption early next year. Hunter represents California’s 50th District, which is located next to the 49th District that Issa retired from last cycle just ahead of the Democratic wave.
Not long ago, Issa said that he would likely run against Hunter if he wasn’t confirmed by Nov. 3. However, that timeline may have gotten upended after Thursday’s drama, as Issa told the media, “Give me a little time to make something official on that.” California’s filing deadline is in December.
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