On Friday, Democrat President Joe Biden’s Department of Justice sent a letter to the House Judiciary Committee saying that it likely will not share information about the investigation into Biden’s mishandling of classified documents.
The news comes as the Biden administration has been criticized by reporters for an “information blackout” in regards to Biden’s document scandal, with White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre refusing to answer questions about the situation and instead referring questions to the Department of Justice – which also does not provide information.
The lack of information marks a stark contrast to President Biden’s pledge on his first day in office to “bring transparency and truth back to government.”
“The Department will be better able to meet your needs at hearings if your request is specific concerning the information the Committee seeks,” the DOJ said in a letter to Judiciary Committee Chairman Jim Jordan (R-OH). “While we will work diligently to accommodate requests for public testimony, it may not always be possible to participate or to address all the topics the Committee wishes to raise. When information is not appropriate for a public hearing, we will make appropriate efforts to determine if such information can be shared in a different setting, such as a briefing, a closed hearing, or through the provision of other information.”
“Consistent with longstanding policy and practice, any oversight requests must be weighed against the Department’s interests in protecting the integrity of its work,” the letter said. “Longstanding Department policy prevents us from confirming or denying the existence of pending investigations in response to congressional requests or providing non-public information about our investigations.”
“The Department’s mission to independently and impartially uphold the rule of law requires us to maintain the integrity of our investigations, prosecutions, and civil actions, and to avoid even a perception that our efforts are influenced by anything but the law and the facts,” the letter continued. “So does the Department’s obligation to protect witnesses and law enforcement, avoid flight by those implicated in our investigations, and prevent additional crimes and attacks.”
The House Judiciary Committee responded to the letter on Twitter, writing, “Why’s DOJ scared to cooperate with our investigations?”
Why’s DOJ scared to cooperate with our investigations?
— House Judiciary GOP (@JudiciaryGOP) January 20, 2023
