In response to the GOP’s pledge to look into the acts of the Biden administration, the Justice Department (DOJ) sent a letter to House Judiciary Chairman Jim Jordan (R-Ohio) informing him that it will not provide information regarding existing investigations, The Hill reported.
“Consistent with longstanding policy and practice, any oversight requests must be weighed against the Department’s interests in protecting the integrity of its work,” Assistant Attorney General Carlos Uriarte said in a letter POLITICO obtained.
He said that the executive branch’s duty to conduct criminal investigations requires the DOJ to “protect the government’s ability to prosecute fully and fairly.” According to him, the agency must safeguard victims and law enforcement, stop suspects from eluding capture and stop new crimes from happening.
The letter was a reply to Jordan’s letters to the DOJ, FBI, and other agencies on Tuesday, which included the GOP’s requests for material from the last Congress.
Uriarte described the department’s procedures for issuing oversight requests and inviting DOJ employees to give testimony at hearings.
He stated that the Department of Justice is committed to assisting the Committee’s ostensible efforts to obtain information, consistent with its duty to safeguard Executive Branch confidentiality interests.
He also stated that the Department of Justice will collaborate with the House Judiciary Committee to identify the appropriate official to address “legitimate, informational needs” when interviews with DOJ officials are requested.
Following their victory in the midterm elections for control of the lower chamber, House Republicans have vowed to start a number of investigations into the Biden administration.
The DOJ’s conduct of the inquiry into the records discovered at President Biden’s office and the House will be the subject of Jordan’s probe, which was announced last week. Additional investigations are also possible.
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