The House Judiciary Committee’s Chairman, Jim Jordan, has written to Attorney General Merrick Garland asking for documents pertaining to the FBI’s search of Donald Trump’s Mar-a-Lago property. In August 2022, a raid was conducted to confiscate any documents that Donald Trump may have come across during his time as president. House Judiciary Republicans, concerned about the unprecedented nature of a raid on a former president and potential political opponent, sent letters to Garland, FBI Director Christopher Wray, and then-White House Chief of Staff Ron Klain, seeking records regarding the search warrant execution and decision. The FBI’s released affidavit justifying the raid was heavily redacted.
Following the raid, the Department of Justice designated U.S. Attorney Jack Smith as a special counsel to probe any potential breaches of federal laws regarding the management of presidential records under the Trump administration. Jordan’s letter to Garland references a previous request for information and documents about the Mar-a-Lago raid and subsequent investigation. The letter now asks for an unredacted copy of the memorandum outlining the scope of Smith’s investigations and any supporting documentation regarding his appointment as special counsel. The House Judiciary Committee expects Garland to provide these records by June 20.
This recent letter from Jordan to the DOJ is his second within the past week seeking additional information about the Mar-a-Lago raid. In a separate memo sent to Garland last week, Jordan expressed concerns about alleged bias and disregard for truth within the FBI, citing a report by U.S. Attorney John Durham. The previous month’s report found no substantial evidence of collusion between Trump’s campaign and Russian government officials during the 2016 election.
Furthermore, House Republicans have announced plans to hold contempt hearings for FBI Director Wray, accusing him of violating a congressional subpoena over an unclassified document that implicates President Joe Biden in a $5 million bribery scheme during his time in the Obama administration.
Comer’s office has provided clearer details on the subpoena document request, which now includes two specific terms: “June 30, 2020” and “five million.” These terms refer to the alleged payment made by a foreign national to obtain their desired policy outcome.
“Americans deserve the truth, and the Oversight Committee will continue to demand transparency from this nation’s chief law enforcement agency,” Comer said Tuesday.