U.S. Rep. Jim Jordan (R-OH) is facing harsh criticism over reports that he will head attempts by the GOP to investigate and subpoena federal agencies like the FBI for conducting a criminal investigation into Donald Trump’s actions following his election defeat.
Laurence Tribe, professor emeritus of constitutional law at Harvard University, took to Twitter to slam the House Republicans’ plan to set up a new special subcommittee to probe what they call the “weaponization” of the federal government by the Biden administration, calling out Jordan’s push to subpoena the Justice Department over its open criminal investigations into Donald Trump’s attempt to overturn the 2020 election results and allegations Trump mishandled classified documents recovered from Mar-a-Lago.
“Jim Jordan’s intent to subpoena the FBI for its criminal evidence against Trump is idiotic,” Tribe tweeted. “He’s obviously legally illiterate. He seems never to have heard about the separation of powers, for starters. He’s just grandstanding.”
The GOP-controlled subcommittee could also look into other areas such as the federal investigation into the January 6 attack, as well as investigate potential conflict of interests involving Joe Biden’s son Hunter Biden’s business dealing when the Democrat was vice president.
As noted by the Kansas City Star, “the idea that Republicans will use their congressional power to investigate federal and security agencies once they take over the House has long been teased by the party.”
During his speech after finally getting enough votes to be House speaker, Kevin McCarthy vowed that the GOP will set up committees to “hold the swamp accountable, from the withdrawal of Afghanistan, to the origins of COVID and to the weaponization of the FBI.”
“Let me be very clear. We will use the power of the purse and the power of the subpoena to get the job done,” the California Republican said.
