House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jim Jordan has asked Attorney General Merrick Garland about the FBI’s involvement in special counsel Jack Smith’s investigation of former President Donald Trump.
In a letter to Mr. Garland, Mr. Jordan, Ohio Republican, highlights the importance of special counsel John Durham’s report that was released recently and detailed how the FBI used its resources for “purely political purposes.”
Mr. Garland appointed Mr. Smith to investigate Mr. Trump’s actions following the 2020 election and to probe classified documents that were stored at the former president’s Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida — including whether anyone obstructed efforts to return the documents to the National Archives.
The Washington Times contacted the Justice Department and the FBI and did not hear back.
Mr. Jordan reminded Mr. Smith that the Durham report released last month detailed the FBI’s failings in opening and conducting an investigation — code-named Crossfire Hurricane — into debunked allegations of collusion between Mr. Trump’s presidential campaign and the Russian government in 2016.
“The extent of the FBI’s bias and reckless disregard for the truth, which Special Counsel Durham laid out in painstaking detail, is nothing short of scandalous. The FBI has tried to dismiss the report’s findings by claiming to have ’already implemented dozens of corrective actions’ to prevent similar misconduct in the future,” Mr. Jordan wrote.
“The FBI’s window dressing is not enough. The special counsel’s report serves as a stark reminder of the need for more accountability and reforms within the FBI. Accordingly, as Congress conducts oversight to inform these legislative reforms, we write to ensure the Justice Department act to preserve the integrity and impartiality of ongoing investigations from the FBI’s politicized bureaucracy.”
Mr. Jordan added that Mr. Durham said the FBI “abused its law-enforcement authorities to achieve a political end — that is, hamstring the campaign and presidency of President Trump.”
The Ohio Republican reminded Mr. Garland that while he is likely familiar with the report’s findings, it’s noteworthy to point out Mr. Durham’s most “troubling conclusions.”
These include the bureau not possessing any evidence of collusion before deciding to launch Crossfire Hurricane as a full investigation as well as failing to apply basic investigative techniques to appropriately assess the credibility of information it received.
Mr. Jordan also highlighted that the Durham report detailed how the FBI applied different standards for investigating information related to Mr. Trump and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton.
Mr. Trump has said he wants to meet with Mr. Garland to discuss the inquiry conducted by Mr. Smith.
The former president posted a letter Tuesday that his attorneys sent to Mr. Garland. The missive says Mr. Trump is being treated unfairly compared with President Biden and his son Hunter Biden, who faces scrutiny over his foreign business ties.
“No president of the United States has ever, in the history of our country, been baselessly investigated in such an outrageous and unlawful fashion. We request a meeting at your earliest convenience to discuss the ongoing injustice that is being perpetrated by your special counsel and his prosecutors,” lawyers John P. Rowley III and James M. Trusty wrote.
• Kerry Picket can be reached at kpicket@washingtontimes.com.
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