Department of Justice (DOJ) officials’ response to congressional subpoenas “has been pathetic” and “terrible,” Rep. Jim Jordan (R-Ohio) said Wednesday on Fox News’ “America’s Newsroom.”
Jordan, a member of the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, chastised DOJ and the FBI for failing to deliver thousands of documents “we’re entitled to as a separate and equal branch of government,” and in the process preventing lawmakers from doing their jobs.
Although Attorney General Jeff Sessions and FBI Director Christopher Wray appointed U.S. Attorney John Lausch of the Northern District of Illinois to speed up efforts to deliver documents lawmakers have been seeking for months, Jordan said that move wasn’t enough.
“[Rep.] Mark [Meadows (R-N.C.)] and I met with” Lausch yesterday, Jordan said. “He does seem like a nice guy. But let’s be honest — the response from the Department of Justice has been pathetic.”
Lausch attempted to appease lawmakers’ concerns during an interview on Fox News’ “Fox & Friends.”
“We need to do better. We need to do much better,” Lausch said. “To be clear, the DOJ is not refusing to turn over anything. And, of course, Congress has — they have a right and obligation to do their job, which includes oversight. What our job and what my job will be is to ensure that we have a process, a better process than we have had going forward so far.”
But Jordan remained unconvinced.
“Look, count me a skeptic based on what we’ve seen over the last five months,” he said. “Let’s see if they can improve it. What we do know is we’re entitled to those documents so we can get answers for the American people.”
Meadows also expressed skepticism and frustration in a tweet, saying, “While I appreciate Mr. Lausch’s efforts, the inspector general for the DOJ has all of the relevant documents. Why not turn over those documents to Congress? Let us do our job. The DOJ [has] been of little to no help to Congress in this investigation.”
While I appreciate Mr. Lausch's efforts, the Inspector General for the DOJ has all of the relevant documents. Why not turn over those documents to Congress? Let us do our job.
The DOJ been of little to no help to Congress in this investigation.
— Mark Meadows (@RepMarkMeadows) April 11, 2018
Jordan said DOJ officials “couldn’t answer fundamental questions” he and Meadows asked Tuesday during a meeting about the documents.
“What’s the approximate universe of documents we’re entitled to? They couldn’t answer that. What are the steps involved in going through that process to get them to us? They couldn’t answer how many steps and how the process worked,” Jordan said. “They couldn’t even tell us the redaction policy — what gets redacted? What doesn’t? How that process works?”
When he asked, “When do you think you’ll finally get us the documents we’re entitled to as a separate and equal branch of government?” the officials “couldn’t answer that,” either.
“It’s been terrible, the kind of response we’ve received thus far,” Jordan said. “Let’s, for goodness’ sake, hope John Lausch can improve that effort over there. Of course, there’s only one direction it can go. It can only get better.”
Jordan, Meadows and House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence Chairman Devin Nunes (R-Calif.) threatened to take drastic measures if DOJ and the FBI failed to comply with Wednesday’s deadline to turn over documents, particularly a two-page document containing the original justification for launching the Trump-Russia probe. The measures could include impeaching Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein and Wray and holding them in contempt of Congress.
Related: ‘We’re Not Messing Around Here,’ Nunes Warns Rosenstein, Wray
“Because never forget what the FBI did — they took an opposition research document, dressed it up and pretended it was real intelligence, took it to the FISA court to get a warrant to spy on a fellow citizen associated with the Trump campaign, didn’t tell the court who paid for it, didn’t tell the court the author of that document is Christopher Steele, that had his relationship terminated with the FBI because he broke a cardinal rule and went and talked to the press,” Jordan said.
“They did all that, and now you’re not going to give us the documents that led up to all that? Come on,” he continued. “The American people want answers to this question.”
Jordan pointed to the scandal surrounding FBI officials Peter Strzok and Lisa Page and the thousands of text messages they exchanged while participating in investigations surrounding President Donald Trump and 2016 Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton.
“I mean, the FBI did this. Peter Strzok and Lisa Page, all the text messages we have seen where they talk about an ‘insurance policy,’ where they talk about their animus toward President Trump,” Jordan said. “The American people want answers to these questions. It’s tough to get questions if you can’t get the underlying information that’s relevant to get those answers.”
PoliZette writer Kathryn Blackhurst can be reached at [email protected]. Follow her on Twitter.
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