The chairman of the House of Representatives Judiciary Committee said on Sunday his panel was investigating Attorney General Eric Holder for a conflict in remarks made under oath at a hearing on a government leak investigation.

Representative Bob Goodlatte and another Republican lawmaker last week asked Holder to clarify testimony he gave Congress about whether he signed off on any decision to pursue a criminal investigation of Fox News reporter James Rosen.

Asked on �Fox News Sunday� whether his panel was investigating Holder for possible perjury, Goodlatte said: �Yes, it is fair to say we are investigating the conflict in his remarks. Those remarks were made under oath.�

�But we also think it�s very important that the attorney general be afforded the opportunity to respond. So we will wait to pass judgment on that until after we receive his response,� the Virginia lawmaker said.

In his May 15 testimony, Holder said he had never been involved in any decision to pursue a criminal investigation of a journalist.

But media outlets subsequently reported that Holder had approved a decision to seek a search warrant for Fox News email records, and Reuters reported Holder signed off on a subpoena for telephone records as well. [ID:nL2N0EA02O] Rosen was described as a co-conspirator by investigators but was not charged.

The Republican lawmakers asked Holder in their letter on Wednesday for a �full and accurate account of your involvement in and approval of these search warrants.�

The Justice Department said it planned to show Holder�s testimony was factual in response to the lawmakers� letter and the White House said Holder�s testimony was truthful.

(AP)