Jim Jordan (R-OH), the Chairman of the House Judiciary Committee, spoke about how he is setting the pace for subpoenas during this Congress’s session at this year’s Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC).
Jordan revealed on Thursday, “We have actually done several. Maybe more than…, The remainder of the Congress, I believe.”
Jordan, who has issued subpoenas for inquiries into a school board dispute and Big Tech, didn’t say who would be the next target, but his remarks came just one day after he had sent a “final” round of letters to a group of American intelligence veterans for a probe involving Hunter Biden, President Biden’s adult son.
Jordan and House Intelligence Committee Chairman Michael Turner (R-OH) wrote that these 51 past officials signed a declaration in Oct. 2020 that “falsely insinuated” reporting regarding Hunter Biden — specifically, a laptop that supposedly holds information regarding his illicit business dealings as well as personal life — was “the result of Russian misinformation” weeks prior to the actual presidential election.
Prior to taking control of the House, GOP leaders had contacted these former espionage officials. Jordan and Turner are requesting “complete” compliance with their demands for documents and testimony “immediately” now that they have the power to issue subpoenas.
The letters do not specify a date, but in his speech at CPAC, Jordan raised the stakes by criticizing the signees’ potential security clearances, which he called a lucrative arrangement.
Jordan guessed that all 51 of the former intel officials that signed the now-famous letter would win. “Every single one of them probably still possess a security clearance. Why?”
Jordan continued, “I think it is for their own personal gain. I believe that has value, and, to be honest, they undoubtedly profit from the notion that they can obtain information. They also frequently contribute to numerous TV networks. Consequently, why do they need a security clearance? That may be one of the legislative solutions we suggest to address some of the issues.”
Although the letters sent to the intelligence officials emphasize how testimony and documents “are vital to strengthening our scrutiny,” Jordan’s emphasis on the legislation could end up being a major sticking point as the Republicans seek cooperation in the months to come.
The House investigative Committee’s request for the material was recently rejected by Hunter Biden’s counsel, who said it had “no legal purpose.” In a follow-up interview, the chairman of the panel, James Comer (R-KY), repeatedly emphasized the importance of his probe into Hunter Biden in order to develop a “legislative fix” to stop the United States President from getting involved in questionable financial dealings.
More than two years have passed since the 2020 election, but it wasn’t until Jordan and Turner started distributing the latest round of letters last month that James Clapper, a notable signatory to the declaration and a former head of national intelligence, appeared to go against the grain. Clapper claimed that POLITICO, the news source that published the statement first, “deliberately” misrepresented the former intelligence officers’ message by using the headline, The former intelligence officials claim the narrative is “Russian disinfo.”