House GOP turns its sights to DOJ’s Trump probe

May 02, 2023

Rep. Jim Jordan. Photo: Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images.

The House Judiciary Committee is seeking information from the Department of Justice about the scope of its special counsel investigation into former President Trump.

Why it matters: Chair Jim Jordan (R-Ohio), a Trump loyalist, has proven willing to use the panel's resources to scrutinize and counter investigations into the ex-president.

Driving the news: Jordan, in a letter to Attorney General Merrick Garland on Tuesday, requested a document outlining the scope of special counsel Jack Smith's investigation.

What he's saying: Jordan, in a brief interview at the Capitol, declined to say whether the letter portends a broader investigation into the special counsel probe.

The state of play: Smith, a former prosecutor at the Hague, is investigating whether Trump mishandled classified documents at his Mar-a-Lago estate, as well as his efforts to overturn the 2020 election in the run-up to Jan. 6.

The backdrop: The request is not without recent precedent. In 2020, Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.), then chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, asked the DOJ for an unredacted copy of the memo outlining the scope of Mueller's probe.