Telling Them No
Justice Department tells GOP-led House it will not share info about ongoing investigations
The U.S. Department of Justice said in a letter Friday that it was unlikely to share information with any House committees about ongoing investigations.
In the letter, a copy of which was obtained by Politico, the DOJ said, "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."
"Consistent with longstanding policy and practice, any oversight requests must be weighed against the Department's interests in protecting the integrity of its work," the DOJ added, though the department said it was looking forward to a "productive relationship" with the new Congress.
The DOJ's letter was in response to a request from the GOP-led House Judiciary Committee and Committee Chair Jim Jordan (R-Ohio) for information regarding a number of investigations. The request, officially filed by the committee last week, sought information on issues ranging from the DOJ's probe into Hunter Biden to the investigation into classified documents handled by both President Biden and former President Donald Trump.
The House also voted along party lines to form a Select Subcommittee on the Weaponization of the Federal Government, with Republicans claiming that government agencies are actively working to undermine conservatives.
In addition to requesting information from the Justice Department, the Judiciary Committee also sought information from the FBI, DEA, and ATF.
The letter from the DOJ is likely to frustrate and embroil Republicans. However, their unwillingness to be a completely open book is in line with department policy. As ABC News noted, "DOJ's reply is a relatively standard response that the department would send at the beginning of a new Congress."