Hawley says Mayorkas, Wray ‘absolutely’ skipped Senate hearing due to Laken Riley verdict, calls for subpoenas

Sen. Josh Hawley, R-Mo., has accused Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas and FBI Director Christopher Wray of avoiding a public Senate hearing to evade criticism over the verdict in the case of Laken Riley’s murder. Mayorkas and Wray were supposed to testify before the Senate Homeland Security Committee on Thursday, but the hearing was postponed after they insisted it be classified and not open to the public. Hawley spoke to Fox News Digital and expressed his disappointment, calling on Committee Chairman Gary Peters, D-Mich., to subpoena the pair for public testimony.

Hawley highlighted the fact that Mayorkas had misled the public about how Riley’s murderer, Jose Ibarra, entered the country. He accused Mayorkas of lying about not having information on Ibarra’s past crimes and then refusing to comment on the matter. Ibarra was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole on Wednesday.

This incident marked the second time in as many days that Mayorkas and Wray had postponed their testimony by insisting on a classified setting. The House Homeland Security Committee also rescheduled their hearing, originally set for Wednesday, to December in a classified setting.

Despite the FBI and DHS claiming that Mayorkas and Wray had already provided extensive testimony to Congress and the public, Hawley remained unsatisfied. He called on Peters to issue subpoenas to compel both officials to testify publicly.

Peters’ office did not immediately respond to inquiries about potential subpoenas. In a statement, Peters criticized Mayorkas and Wray for refusing to testify publicly, stating that it deprived Americans of essential information.

Hawley further called for Wray’s resignation ahead of President-elect Donald Trump’s inauguration, citing his track record on illegal immigration and alleged bias against Catholic Americans.

In conclusion, the controversy surrounding the postponed public Senate hearing involving Mayorkas and Wray continues to generate criticism and calls for transparency. The demand for accountability and public testimony from key government officials remains a pressing issue in the aftermath of Laken Riley’s tragic murder case.