"Like other congressional committees, some staff of the House Judiciary Committee were permitted to offer their policy expertise to the Trump transition team about immigration law," a House Judiciary Committee aide said in a statement. "However, the Trump Administration is responsible for the final policy decisions contained in the executive order and its subsequent roll-out and implementation.”

The work of the committee aides began during the transition period after the election and before Donald Trump was sworn in. The staffers signed nondisclosure agreements, according to two sources familiar with the matter. Trump's transition operation forced its staff to sign these agreements, but it would be unusual to extend that requirement to congressional employees. Rexrode declined to comment on the nondisclosure pacts.

The Virginia Republican told lawmakers that he approved his staff to work for the Trump transition team. He said his staff gave policy advice but their work for Trump officials ended on Jan. 20, the day of the inauguration.

He also told lawmakers his staff had no input on the timing or the rollout of the immigration order, which bans travelers from seven predominantly Muslim countries and halts the refugee program.

POLITICO reported Monday night that Goodlatte staffers helped the administration craft the executive order but did not inform their chairman or GOP leaders on the Hill of their work on the policy. Sources said the staffers signed nondisclosure agreements so they could not talk about what they were working on.

Goodlatte's staff has said he was unaware of the executive action. And his staff has not responded to multiple questions about their signing of nondisclosure agreements, which would bar them from discussing the controversial policy with their boss or republican leadership.