DOJ shoots down another attempt by Jim Jordan to peek inside classified docs probe

The Department of Justice again told House Republicans they could not peek into an ongoing investigation.

Reps. Jim Jordan (R-OH) and Mike Johnson (R-LA) had asked Jan. 13 for a detailed accounting of when DOJ officials learned that classified material had been discovered at the Penn Biden Center and what happened next, and the department offered an overview but refused to disclose non-public information about the special counsel investigation.

"“The Department’s long-standing policy is to maintain the confidentiality of such information regarding open matters," DOJ officials said. "This policy protects the American people's interest in the evenhanded, dispassionate and effective administration of justice. Disclosing non-public information about ongoing investigations could violate statutory requirements of court orders, reveal road maps of our investigations and interfere with the Department's ability to gather facts, interview witnesses and bring criminal prosecutions where warranted."

The National Archives inspector general's office contacted a DOJ prosecutor on Nov. 4, four days before the election, to report that documents with classified markings were found at President Joe Biden's former office, which prompted attorney general Merrick Garland to order an investigation by a U.S. attorney right away and then by a special counsel on Jan. 12.

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"Consistent with the Justice Manual and other applicable regulations, the Department's first public disclosures regarding this matter occurred when the Attorney General announced the appointment of a Special Counsel," the department wrote.