Attorney General Merrick Garland was served with a subpoena by the House Judiciary Committee on Tuesday. The committee stated that it requires information pertaining to the demand made by the Department of Justice (DOJ) for congressional staff communications during the Trump administration.
Subsequent to an initial inquiry from Committee Chair Jim Jordan (R-Ohio) concerning a 2017 subpoena issued to Google for information pertaining to a former Senate Judiciary staffer and other congressional aides, the subpoena was issued.
In October, investigative counsel for the panel, Jason Foster, disclosed that his and other staff members’ communications had been combed through in the course of monitoring the department’s 2016 election investigation and the determination to surveil a Trump campaign staffer.
The investigation involved oversight of the department’s operations.
According to a report by The New York Times in 2021, the Department of Justice (DOJ) subpoenaed communications companies for confidential information regarding staff members and members of Congress, including Democratic Representatives Adam Schiff (Calif.) and Eric Swalwell (Calif.), during the Trump administration.
As a result of Garland’s referral, an inspector general investigation has already begun into those subpoenas.
All DOJ documents pertaining to queries for communications from members of Congress or their staffs at telecommunications companies are sought by the subpoena.
[READ MORE: Kamala Harris Launches New Nationwide Tour to Promote Abortion]
