Republicans in the House of Representatives on Tuesday requested information from the Department of Justice regarding Special Counsel Jack Smith's investigations into former President Donald Trump, including details about FBI agents involved in the probes.
The letter is "an early show of how the powerful House Judiciary Committee plans to leverage a May report from special counsel John Durham detailing issues with the FBI's early work investigating Trump campaign ties to Russia," The Hill reports. Drafted by Committee Chairman Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, the note also marks the latest development in his GOP-led subcommittee's efforts to build a case that government agencies are targeting conservative lawmakers.
Jordan, citing the so-called "institutional rot that pervades the FBI," is pursuing a breakdown of the bureau personnel on the case as well as information on whether any have previously investigated the former president. He is also seeking clarity on whether Smith's probe involves evidence gathered before Durham's appointment, crediting new authority in congressional rules with the power to pursue information about ongoing investigations.
The letter comes as Trump's team is looking to unmask and "purge" FBI and DOJ personnel involved in the investigations into his conduct, according to Rolling Stone.
"The extent of the FBI's bias and reckless disregard for the truth, which Special Counsel Durham laid out in painstaking detail, is nothing short of scandalous. The FBI has tried to dismiss the report's findings by claiming to have 'already implemented dozens of corrective actions' to prevent similar misconduct in the future," Jordan wrote in the letter.
"The FBI's window dressing is not enough. The Special Counsel's report serves as a stark reminder of the need for more accountability and reforms within the FBI," he continued.
Though Durham criticized the FBI in his final report, his probe of the Crossfire Hurricane investigation brought forth little new information. The inquiry examined several issues in the probe including the bureau's failure to confirm any parts of the Steele dossier, whose array of allegations about Trump's possible connections to Russia was used to secure a warrant to spy on his campaign advisor.
"The objective facts show that the FBI's handling of important aspects of the Crossfire Hurricane matter were seriously deficient," Durham said in his 305-page report, accusing the FBI of relying on "raw, unanalyzed, and uncorroborated intelligence."
Last month, the bureau said that it has "already implemented dozens of corrective actions," adding that "the missteps identified in the report could have been prevented" if the agency had these measures in place in 2016.
In the letter, Jordan, who has invited Durham to speak to the committee later this month, also requested a meeting with Deputy Attorney General Lisa Monaco about the report.
The special counsel's investigation into the former president has ramped in recent weeks, possibly indicating that the probes are nearing an end and that Trump could soon face more criminal charges for potentially mishandling classified materials and inciting the Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol.
