House Judiciary Chairman Subpoenas Attorney General Garland and FBI Chief in Free Speech Probe

House Republicans subpoenaed the FBI and Department of Justice in their ongoing probe of speech censorship by tech companies, saying cooperation from the agencies has been "woefully inadequate."

Rep. Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, the chair of the powerful House Judiciary Committee, said in announcing the subpoenas Thursday that he is seeking records detailing communication between the agencies and private companies "related to content moderation and the suppression of disfavored speech online."

The subpoenas were issued to FBI Director Christopher Wray and Attorney General Merrick Garland as the panel continues its investigation into what Republicans argue is collusion between the federal government and large tech companies to suppress speech online. It is a line of inquiry that has been boosted by the federal Missouri v. Biden case, which argues that the federal government's contact with social media companies about content moderation resulted in the censoring of free speech and conservative views.

A judge last month issued a ruling in the case that bars a number of executive agencies and officials from contacting social media platforms about content moderation. The decision has been appealed.

The investigation continues a tranche of investigations that Jordan and other top Republican attack dogs have undertaken to ding the president ahead of the 2024 election cycle. Jordan also issued subpoenas to Citi Bank on Thursday, according to CNBC, over information it may have shared with federal investigators following the Jan. 6 Capitol riots.

The DOJ said in a statement to The Messenger "does not censor content on social media platforms."

"Private companies have the sole authority to make decisions to protect their platforms and users," the department said. "As with all the Committee’s various requests, the Department remains committed to working with the Committee to fulfill their informational needs."