Rep. Jordan Demands Answers From AG Garland Over Trump Probe

Rep. Jim Jordan (R-Ohio), the House Judiciary chairman, sent a letter to Attorney General Merrick Garland on Thursday demanding answers about a special investigation into Donald Trump’s handling of confidential records.

In his letter, Jordan used Special Counsel John Durham’s probe into the FBI’s investigation of alleged collusion between Trump’s presidential campaign and Russia to raise concerns about the latest investigation into the former president being similarly "poisoned."

Jordan called for further oversight for Special Counsel Jack Smith’s probe into the former president's handling of presidential records and his alleged efforts to overturn the 2020 presidential election results.

“The extent of the FBI’s bias and reckless disregard for truth, which Special Counsel John Durham laid out in painstaking detail, is nothing short of scandalous,” Jordan wrote. 

Durham’s report found “neither U.S. law enforcement nor the Intelligence Community appears to have possessed any actual evidence of collusion” before launching the Trump campaign investigation, though Durham charged no high-level F.B.I. or intelligence official with a crime

The report highlighted procedural errors in the FBI's investigation and recommended a position to handle "politically sensitive investigations."

The congressman called “corrective actions” already taken by the FBI “window dressing.”

“The FBI has tried to dismiss the report’s findings by claiming to have ‘already implemented dozens of corrective actions’ to prevent similar misconduct in the future. The FBI’s window dressing is not enough,” he wrote.

Jordan is demanding details about the “use of FBI personnel” under Smith and the total number of agents. The lawmaker also asked if any of the FBI employees on the Trump probe worked on prior Trump investigations and also demanded details on the origin of evidence in the probes. 

A spokesperson for Smith declined to comment when reached by The Messenger. The Department of Justice did not immediately return a request for comment.

Trump, a close ally of Jordan, has blasted Smith previously, dubbing him a "political hit man."

The House Judiciary Committee is seeking a meeting with Deputy Attorney Lisa Monaco to discuss Durham’s report and remedial measures that should be implemented in response to it.

Jordan gave Garland until June 15 to respond to the letter.