(GoRealNewsNow.com) – In a move that underscores the never-ending beef between congressional Republicans and the Biden administration’s Department of Justice, Representative Jim Jordan of Ohio, Chairman of the House Judiciary Committee, is ramping up his confrontation with Attorney General Merrick Garland.
The focus of this dispute is the alarming allegation that the DOJ may have spied on congressional staffers by accessing their communications through Google, prompting Jordan to issue a subpoena to Garland for relevant documents and information.
In a forthright letter to Garland, Jordan underscores the gravity of these allegations, suggesting that the Executive Branch might have misused its authority to scrutinize the private communications of Legislative Branch employees. These employees were involved in constitutionally mandated oversight of the DOJ’s investigative activities, some of which were later deemed unlawful.
This conflict has its roots in actions dating back to 2017 when the DOJ, under different leadership, subpoenaed Google for communications of Senator Chuck Grassley’s chief investigative counsel, Jason Foster. The DOJ’s persistence in keeping this subpoena under wraps until 2021 raises questions about the transparency and motives behind such actions.
Empower Oversight, representing Foster, revealed that both Republican and Democratic staffers were targeted by this DOJ subpoena. This bipartisan aspect of the investigation adds a complex layer to the situation, transcending simple partisan lines and pointing to potential systemic issues within the DOJ.
The fact that Google only recently informed Foster about the subpoena prompted Jordan to demand explanations from Garland. However, Garland’s lack of full compliance with Jordan’s requests has led to the issuance of the subpoena, reflecting a deepening divide and a quest for accountability.
The DOJ’s actions are linked to an investigation into disclosures related to Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA) warrants targeting former Trump campaign adviser Carter Page. The DOJ Inspector General’s 2019 report unveiled significant inaccuracies by the FBI in obtaining these warrants, relying on the discredited Steele Dossier, and highlighting further errors in other FISA warrant applications.
This situation places Foster, who investigated the DOJ’s handling of the Crossfire Hurricane inquiry, at the center of a complex and politically charged narrative. Jordan’s determined pursuit of answers from Garland represents a critical moment in the ongoing scrutiny of the DOJ’s past and present actions, as well as its accountability to Congressional oversight.