Rep. Jim Jordan is seen on Jan. 9 in Washington, DC. Photo: Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images
The Department of Justice signaled Friday that it’s not going to share information about ongoing investigations with the GOP-led House, per a letter obtained by Politico.
Driving the news: The letter to House Judiciary Chair Rep. Jim Jordan comes after the Ohio Republican announced that the GOP-led committee is seeking to conduct “an oversight of the Justice Department’s actions” related to President Biden’s handling of classified documents.
- In a letter to Attorney General Merrick Garland last week, Jordan requested a number of documents and communications, including between the DOJ, the FBI and Biden’s office.
What they’re saying: The DOJ’s letter states that “any oversight requests must be weighed against the department’s interests in protecting the integrity of its work,” Carlos Uriarte, DOJ’s legislative affairs chief, wrote.
- “Longstanding Department policy prevents us from confirming or denying the existence of pending investigations in response to congressional requests or providing non-public information about our investigations.”
- “The Department’s mission to independently and impartially uphold the rule of law requires us to maintain the integrity of our investigations, prosecutions, and civil actions, and to avoid even a perception that our efforts are influenced by anything but the law and the facts,” Uriarte continued.
The other side: “Why’s DOJ scared to cooperate with our investigations?” the House Judiciary Committee questioned on Twitter Friday.
- “Why can’t the White House just be honest with us about Joe Biden’s classified documents and the border crisis?” Jordan echoed.
