The House Judiciary Committee held a hearing on the constitutionality of a raid by the Federal Bureau of Investigations on a congressional office while investigating possible corruption. Witnesses testified about the procedures used in the application of a search warrant, the provisions of separation of powers in the Constitution, the encroachment of executive power on the ability of Congress to regulate its own affairs, and specifically the provisions of the “speech and debate” provisions in the Constitution. Members described the FBI’s weekend search of Representative William Jefferson’s office in the Rayburn House Office Building as an arrogant, unnecessary breach of tradition and vital constitutional protections.