‘Defying his own standard‘: Eric Swalwell pummels Jim Jordan at hearing on subpoena compliance
A Democratic congressman on Thursday called out House Judiciary Chairman Jim Jordan (R-Ohio) alleging hypocrisy after Jordan issued subpoenas in connection with investigations into the Justice Department and the FBI, noting that Jordan himself last year defied a congressional subpoena from the Jan. 6 committee.
Rep. Eric Swalwell (D-CA) directed his comments toward Ben Cline (R-VA) during a meeting of the Judiciary Committee’s Subcommittee on Responsiveness and Accountability To Oversight, of which Cline serves as chair.
Jordan earlier this week threatened to subpoena 16 more FBI witnesses in connection with a probe alleging “weaponized” agencies mistreated conservatives, Axios reports.
“I think it's quite rich that we are talking about subpoena compliance under a chairman of the full committee who was absolutely out of subpoena compliance in the last congress,” Swalwell said.
“So we're gonna call witnesses in here today and claim that they did not comply with subpoenas or requests, and that request is so rich because it's coming from a chairman who himself did not comply with the January six committees request.”
Swalwell noted that a May 31 letter sent to Jordan repeatedly asked him to comply with the Jan. 6 committee’s subpoena after he flouted efforts to compel Jordan’s testimony.
“You were a witness to a crime,” Swalwell said at Thursday’s meeting .You were a witness to the greatest crime ever committed with the most criminals ever indicted in America. Will you help your country? Will you comply with that subpoena?”
But there was “no compliance,” Swalwell said.
“Crickets, absolute defiance of the subpoena.”