Posted on 12/23/2023 8:25:44 PM PST by SeekAndFind
House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jim Jordan (R-Ohio) and House Subcommittee on Crime and Federal Government Surveillance Chairman Andy Biggs (R-Ariz.) have demanded documents from special counsel Jack Smith seeking information about his investigation of former President Donald Trump, and threatening a subpoena if the Department of Justice (DOJ) continues to ignore similar requests they submitted earlier this year.
"Based on publicly available information, the Committee has significant concerns about your commitment to evenhanded justice," the House Republicans wrote on Thursday in a letter to the special counsel.
Mr. Jordan and Mr. Biggs are asking for documents, including communications between the special counsel and the U.S. Attorney General's office regarding investigating and prosecuting President Trump, salaries and travel costs incurred by special counsel staff working on the Trump case, and hiring criteria for the team.
They gave a deadline of Jan. 4 for the requested materials.
Mr. Smith is prosecuting former President Donald Trump in two separate federal criminal investigations, one alleging mishandling of classified documents and another alleging interference in the 2020 elections. He was appointed special counsel last November to investigate matters related to Jan. 6, 2021.
The committee chairs pointed out that this is a prosecution by the Biden administration of "President Biden's chief opponent in the upcoming presidential election," and that a record showing partiality has emerged.
"You have a record of attempting to criminalize political discourse, as evidenced by your reported interest in how the Justice Department could prosecute conservative tax-exempt groups engaging in constitutionally protected political speech," the letter reads.
They called into question Mr. Smith's appointment as special counsel, raising questions of "fairness and justice."
They cited a Washington Post report that quoted top DOJ officials opposing the investigation into President Trump for his role on Jan. 6, and recent reports that the special counsel demanded from Twitter (now X) information about users who reposted or liked President Trump's posts.
This is within the committee's purview, they noted, because it could inform legislation "including possible reforms regarding politically motivated prosecutions."
On June 1, Mr. Jordan requested information about how Mr. Smith was using FBI personnel in his investigations, highlighting recent reports of political bias in the department.
On June 6, Mr. Jordan requested the unredacted version of the memo outlining the scope of Mr. Smith's authority as special counsel, citing concerns about overreach in the FBI raid on President Trump's Mar-a-Lago estate in Palm Beach, Florida, in August 2022. The raid resulted in a case Mr. Smith is prosecuting.
On Sept. 7, Mr. Jordan requested documents and communications between the special counsel's office and defense attorney Stanley Woodward. Mr. Woodward is representing a codefendant in the Mar-a-Lago case and had alleged that an attorney from the special counsel's office tried to bribe him to turn his client against President Trump.
The special counsel's office was not immediately available for comment.
He has been on trial in New York in a civil fraud case since October, and litigating pretrial motions in four separate criminal cases to which he has pleaded not guilty to 91 counts.
In Georgia, President Trump faces racketeering charges in his challenge of the 2020 elections.
Mr. Jordan has also opened a probe into prosecutor Fani Willis, the Fulton County District Attorney, citing concerns that the investigation is politically motivated. Ms. Willis has been campaigning and fundraising as of late, with events coinciding with the high-profile litigation of the case against President Trump and more than a dozen others.
The committee later expanded that probe to cover potential "collusion" between Ms. Willis and the Jan. 6 Select Committee, which produced a highly controversial report accusing President Trump of wrongdoing.
Rep. Elise Stefanik (R-N.Y.) has also called attention to potential bias in Trump cases, filing an ethics complaint in November against New York Supreme Court Justice Arthur Engoron, who is presiding over the civil fraud trial. She cited concerning statements the judge had made before and during the trial, and questioned a pretrial ruling the judge made in finding President Trump liable for fraud before hearing his defense.
Closing arguments for the New York case are scheduled for Jan. 11, and defense attorneys are expected to appeal shortly after the judge makes his ruling.
Are we on the cusp of another bombshell revelation? 😆
Okay Mr. Jordan and Mr. Biggs, you have sent multiple letters and requests to DOJ and for all practical purposes they have told you both GFY!!!
Past time to MAN UP and do something more than have a stompy feet temper tantrum and write more letters. Grow a set of BALLS and go physically drag JERK SMITH into Congress.
STOP WRITING F*CKING LETTERS AND DO SOMETHING!!!!
"The judge in the Florida District Court classified documents case is under the jurisdiction of the 11th Circuit and is not bound by D.C. Circuit precedent. Any litigant in a case before her can argue that Jack Smith is not a lawfully appointed officer of the United States."
To Chairmen Jordan & Biggs: Subpoena Jack Smith immediately and--if he ignores the US Congressional command to appear--put him in cuffs and ankle chains and toss him in a jail cell--exactly the way Pelosi had Attorney Peter Navarro seized when he ignored her Oct 8 Committee's subpoena.
No "sternly worded-letters" given Jack Smith's crucial act of judicial malfeasance.
Do what? All the means of enforcement are in the executive brqncb.
Yep, funny how that is working out. When DEMOCRATS are in the Executive Branch, due process seems to get lost on THEIR POLITICAL ENEMIES.
Almost Tyrannical or Dictatorial.
DEMOCRATS are the Masters of Projection.
“Do what? All the means of enforcement are in the executive branch.”
Right, except for the budget power, which they will never use. I don’t think they can use the US Marshals, or the Capitol Police to seize documents or arrest the scofflaws.
Can’t wait for all the new ‘bombshell’ revelations (/sarc).
Seriously...defund them, completely, if they fail to comply. And, the left has worn out the ‘ongoing investigation’ scam, years ago.
subpoena them. If they refuse to comply or even respond, then jail them, and introduce legislation to defund them.
Shut them down. They work for us, not the progressive commie wing of the uniparty.
Ten bucks says that he refuses to turn them over.
>Right, except for the budget power,<
Except this Office of Special Counsel was never approved by Congress and Smith has never been approved by the Senate. There is nothing to defund.
We don’t need no stinking Constitution./s
EC
>Right, except for the budget power,<
Except this Office of Special Counsel was never approved by Congress and Smith has never been approved by the Senate. There is nothing to defund.
We don’t need no stinking Constitution./s
EC
Yes, yes, we know all that. The special counsel needs money, doesn’t he? He’s getting it from somewhere. The Congress can use the DOJ budget, that’s where the SC is funded, isn’t it? Did you even bother to really read what I posted. The original poster was saying the executive branch has the enforcement power and I agreed. I mentioned the Congress could use the budget and then asked whether the Congress could use the US Marshals or the Capitol Police to seize documents and arrest the scofflaws.
>The special counsel needs money, doesn’t he? He’s getting it from somewhere. <
Hence, the House Judiciary Committee is demanding information on the special counsel employees, salaries, travel expenses, and hiring criteria. This is how they can get to the funding. Being an illegally formed counsel, this information is not budgeted.
We are in total agreement, just on different parts of the same path.
EC
Jim Jordan: the epitome of sound and fury, signifying nothing.
‘Hence, the House Judiciary Committee is demanding information on the special counsel employees, salaries, travel expenses, and hiring criteria. This is how they can get to the funding. Being an illegally formed counsel, this information is not budgeted.
We are in total agreement, just on different parts of the same path.
EC”
Yep. Money is power. Take away the funds and the miscreants can be stopped.
Budget power? Biden has shown that he will ignore Congressional budget authority, as well as Supreme Court decisions.
“Budget power? Biden has shown that he will ignore Congressional budget authority, as well as Supreme Court decisions.”
Well, what then? Got any practical suggestions?
Practical suggestions? Hopefully we haven’t reached a point of no return. Hopefully we can elect Trump, or someone who will do what he will do, and other elected officials and legislators who will help him or her flush the rot in government.
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