House Republicans launch investigation into DOJ's probe of Biden's classified records
House Judiciary Committee chair Jim Jordan formally jumped into the Biden files fight Friday, demanding answers from the DOJ about the federal probe.
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- House Judiciary Committee chair Jim Jordan is opening his own investigation into the Biden files.
- Jordan wants Attorney General Merrick Garland to share information about the DOJ probe.
- "The American people deserve transparency and accountability," Jordan wrote Friday.
Less than 24 hours after the appointment of a special counsel tasked with investigating President Joe Biden's alleged mishandling of classified files, newly-minted House Judiciary Committee chair Jim Jordan has launched a GOP-led probe into how the Justice Department is approaching the politically-charged situation.
Jordan laid out his myriad concerns about Biden's treatment of sensitive records during his tenure as vice president in a three-page letter to US Attorney General Merrick Garland.
—House Judiciary GOP (@JudiciaryGOP) January 13, 2023
"It is unclear when the Department first came to learn about the existence of these documents, and whether it actively concealed this information from the public on the eve of the 2022 election," Jordan wrote, working in digs against Biden administration officials for allegedly keeping things quiet ahead of the midterms.
He also questioned how the new Biden case compares to the ongoing federal investigation into the missing files FBI agents recovered last summer while searching embattled former President Donald Trump's home in Palm Beach, Florida.
"The American people deserve transparency and accountability from our most-senior executive branch law enforcement officials," Jordan writes right before demanding that Garland hand over "all documents and communications" related to the selection of special counsel Robert K. Hur, preliminary investigator John Lausch, White House special counsel Richard Sauber, the Federal Bureau of Investigations, and others associated with the two locations where Biden-related documents have been found so far.
Garland on Thursday said he decided to appoint a special counsel due to the "extraordinary circumstances" of the situation, an active investigation into the handling of sensitive records by Biden and his staff — coming only two months after he appointed a different special counsel to oversee the classified records case involving Trump.
Jordan's swift action comes as the newly-empowered House GOP leaders plot an ambitious oversight agenda while rank-and-file members are giddily picking out impeachment targets.
Speaker Kevin McCarthy told congressional reporters on Thursday that the Biden situation seemed ripe for the new Judiciary subcommittee tasked with probing the alleged "weaponization" of the federal government.
Jordan gave Garland until January 27 to provide the requested information.