US Justice Dept. Declines To Provide House Lawmakers Info On Biden Document Probe - Letter

WASHINGTON (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 31st January, 2023) The US Justice Department is declining to provide House lawmakers with information they requested regarding the Federal government's probe into President Joe Biden's potential mishandling of classified documents, Assistant Attorney General Carlos Uriarte said on Monday.

On January 13, the Justice Department received a letter from congressmen Jim Jordan and Mike Johnson requesting information on the department's investigation into the possible unauthorized removal and retention of classified documents by Biden. The request comes following the discovery of sensitive materials at locations including a think-tank office and Biden family garage.

"Your letter also requests non-public information that is central to the ongoing Special Counsel investigation. The Department's longstanding policy is to maintain the confidentiality of such information regarding open matters," Uriarte said in a response letter to Jordan and Johnson.

Special Counsel Robert Hur was appointed earlier this month to investigate the potential mishandling of classified materials by Biden.

Disclosing non-public information about an ongoing investigation could violate statutory requirements or court orders, reveal investigatory road maps or interfere with the Justice Department's ability to effectively pursue prosecution, Uriarte said.

Disclosures to Congress about active investigations may also risk creating the appearance of improper political pressure or attempting to influence the Justice Department's decisions, Uriarte added.

"Judiciary Republicans are rightly concerned about the Justice Department's double standard here, after all, some of the Biden documents were found at a think tank that's received funds from communist China," the House Judiciary Committee Republican majority said via Twitter, in response to Uriarte's letter.

The US House Oversight Committee is also probing Biden's potential mishandling of classified documents as part of its probe into possible influence peddling by the Biden family, particularly though the foreign business dealings of Joe Biden's son, Hunter Biden.

Earlier on Monday, House Oversight Committee Chair James Comer said that lawmakers need to know whether the classified documents were used in a way to profit the Biden family, which the congressman claimed would be an impeachable offense.