Gruber Refuses To Provide Obamacare Docs: 'Committee Can Take It Up with My Counsel'

Monica Sanchez | December 9, 2014
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At the House Oversight Committee hearing today on Capitol Hill, MIT professor Jonathan Gruber repeatedly refused to provide documents of his work on ObamaCare.

Rep. Jason Chaffetz (R-UT) asked Jonathan Gruber whether he would provide the Committee copies detailing his involvement in the push for healthcare reform, to which Gruber responded by deferring to his counsel.

The questioning proceeded as follows:

“Mr. Gruber, will you provide copies of all the work product you provided to the federal government related to the Affordable Care Act, Healthcare.gov, or any other healthcare reform proposals?” Chaffetz asked.

“I want to give that request – the Committee, they can take it up with my counsel,” Gruber said.

“No, no, no. We’re asking you, not your counsel,” Chaffetz interjected.

“Counsel works for you, so we’re asking you under oath, will you provide this information to this committee?”

“Once again, if the Committee could take it up with my counsel…” Gruber replied.

“No, no, no. Mr. Gruber, we’re asking you. You’ve been paid by the American taxpayers. Will you or will you not provide that information to this Committee?” Chaffetz asked once more.

“Once again, the Committee can take it up with my counsel,” Gruber said.  

The White House-consulted economist went on to claim that he did not know who owned said documents in question, despite it being clear with whom he had signed a contract with to work on the healthcare program. 

"Why do you believe you're entitled to not give it to us?" Chaffetz asked. 

"I don't know the rules of -- what -- how you produce documents and things like that. I'm not a lawyer," Gruber said. 

"Do you have documents?" Chaffetz asked. 

"Do I own documents?" Gruber asked in reply. "I have -- Yeah, I have documents."

"And you're not willing to give them to us?" Chaffetz asked.

Gruber responded,

"I have all sorts of documents. I have a piece of paper in front of me. I don't understand what you mean." 

His responses constitute ducking and weaving at its worst. Watch of the rest of the exchange to see what Gruber says next. 

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