Trump's acting attorney general Matt Whitaker 'will consult with ethics officials' over whether to recuse himself from the Mueller investigation

• Trump's new acting AG Matt Whitaker is under intense pressure from Democrats
• Democrats say he should recuse himself from Mueller investigation 
• In recent months, Whitaker has been highly critical of the Mueller probe
• He even talked about starving it of funds in order to put a stop to it
• Whitaker was made acting AG after Trump fired Jeff Sessions last week

Acting Attorney General Matt Whitaker will consult with Justice Department ethics officials about 'matters that may warrant recusal' amid pressure from Democrats to step aside from overseeing the special counsel's investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election.

Whitaker is 'fully committed to following all appropriate processes and procedures,' including consulting with senior ethics officials about his 'oversight responsibilities and matter that may warrant recusal,' Justice Department spokeswoman Kerri Kupec said in a statement Monday.

Since his appointment last week, Whitaker has faced mounting pressure to step aside from overseeing Special Counsel Robert Mueller's investigation, due to critical comments Whitaker made about the investigation before joining the Justice Department last year.

In an interview with CNN in July 2017, Whitaker suggested the Mueller probe could be starved of its resources by cutting the budget 'so low that his investigation grinds to almost a halt.'