Washington (CNN) Former Secretary of State Rex Tillerson quietly met with the top Democrat and Republican on the House Foreign Affairs Committee Tuesday for an interview that focused primarily on his time in the Trump administration, a congressional aide with direct knowledge of the discussion confirmed to CNN. Tillerson traveled to Capitol Hill where he sat down with the committee's Democratic chairman Rep. Eliot Engel and ranking Republican Rep. Michael McCaul, the aide said, adding that major topics of interest included the administration's dealings with Russia and uncertainty surrounding the role of Trump's son-in-law, Jared Kushner, in deciding foreign policy. The interview lasted roughly seven hours, including breaks, the same source said. While specific details related to the meeting remain murky, it is clear that Tillerson's trip to Capitol Hill came as a surprise to many in Washington, including to some members of the House Foreign Affairs Committee. Several members of the House panel did not know about the interview until after it was first reported by The Daily Beast , according to a Republican lawmaker and an aide to a Democrat on the committee.

Source: CNN May 21, 2019 22:41 UTC