House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, is asking Attorney General Merrick Garland to voluntarily hand over documents and communications related to the raid on former President Donald Trump’s Mar-a-Lago residence. Jordan wants them delivered by 5:00 p.m. on Friday, June 16.
Jordan is specifically requesting documents and communications related to the search warrant from senior DOJ and FBI officials, the Washington field office and Secret Service.
When asked by Straight Arrow News whether he will issue a subpoena if Garland doesn’t fulfill the request, Jordan said, “We’ll wait and see what happens on Friday.”
But a senior member of the committee told Straight Arrow News he has little doubt Jordan would.
“It has been the policy of Chairman Jordan, and Chairman Comer for that matter, to attempt to get things voluntary compliance through negotiation. If he is unable to get it, I have little doubt but that [sic] he would be forced to use subpoena power,” Rep. Darrell Issa, R-Calif., said.
Democrats, meanwhile, are expressing concern that the Committee may be interfering in an ongoing criminal prosecution and therefore violating the separation of powers.
“I think there’s an extremely strong legal case that this is an overreach and that it’s not permissible. So it would probably end up in court for quite a while,” Rep. Mary Gay Scanlon, D-Pa., said.
Committee rules state Jordan can issue a subpoena after consulting with the top Democrat on the panel. Republicans could also approve a subpoena by bringing it up for a vote, which requires a simple majority.
