Rep. Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, chairman of the House Judiciary Committee, said Sunday that he and his Republican colleagues in the House are “not taking anything off the table” regarding the investigation into special counsel Jack Smith.
“We want the facts,” Jordan told CNN’s “State of the Union,” days after Smith and the Justice Department began the process of wrapping up two federal investigations into President-elect Donald Trump, who were expected to close last week would win the presidential election. .
‘I assume there will be a report. But all we’re saying is ‘preserve everything’ so that we, Congress, who have a constitutional duty to oversee, can see everything,” Jordan added.
When asked specifically whether Jordan would call Smith to testify, Jordan repeatedly dodged the question, simply saying, “Maybe that has been the norm, but we’re not taking anything off the table. I can’t say for sure, but we want the information.”
On Friday, Jordan and Rep. Barry Loudermilk, R-Ga., sent a letter to Smith’s office requesting that the staff “resolve all existing and future documents and materials relating to the investigations and prosecutions of President Trump by the Office of Special Counsel would keep.”
“With President Trump’s decisive victory this week, we are concerned that the Office of Special Counsel may attempt to delete relevant documents, communications, and records in response to our numerous requests for information,” the letter said.
“We want the facts, and that is why we sent the letter. Mr. Loudermilk and myself sent the letter saying, ‘Hey, Mr. Smith, keep this information,’” Jordan told CNN on Sunday.
Jordan currently chairs the House Judiciary Committee, but control of the House is still up in the air and NBC News has not yet predicted the results of several House districts.
If Democrats succeed in toppling the House, Jordan is unlikely to remain chairman of the committee.
On Friday, Smith began officially wrapping up a criminal investigation alleging that Trump sought to overturn the outcome of the 2020 presidential election, which he lost.
Later Friday, U.S. District Judge Tanya Chutkan confirmed Smith’s request to pause the case, giving him nearly a month to tell her how he plans to proceed.
The Justice Department has long had a policy against prosecuting sitting presidents.
This article was originally published on NBCNews.com
