Rep. Jim Jordan wants Justice Department Inspector General Michael Horowitz to testify about his blistering reports on former FBI Director James Comey.
Just back from August recess, Democrats in control of the House Judiciary Committee are gearing up for a vote on informal impeachment investigation rules.
Jordan, an Ohio Republican who is a member of the committee, said his Democratic colleagues are wasting their time and should instead focus on Comey, who he argued is “solely responsible” for putting the country through three years of Trump-Russia hysteria.
“Why aren’t we having Michael Horowitz in for a hearing? I mean, he just issued a scathing report about Jim Comey, the former FBI director, and nothing has been scheduled to bring in Mr. Horowitz to answer our questions,” Jordan said Monday on Fox & Friends.
Horowitz released a report last month that strongly rebuked Comey for how he handled memos describing his discussions with President Trump. The Justice Department declined to prosecute Comey on Horowitz’s referral. The DOJ watchdog, who criticized Comey in a report last year for his handling of the FBI investigation into Hillary Clinton’s private email server, is now wrapping up an inquiry into alleged surveillance abuses that could also spell trouble for Comey.
Trump fired Comey in May 2017. On the Senate side, Judiciary Chairman Lindsey Graham has already expressed interest in having Horowitz appear before Congress to testify about his investigation into potential abuse of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act once the report is public. Last month, the South Carolina Republican said he expected Horowitz to give “chilling testimony” in front of the committee.
Jordan said the question he is most asked is, “When is somebody going to jail for wrongdoing that took place in the Trump-Russia investigation or even the Clinton investigation?”
In order to “get to the bottom of that,” Jordan reasoned that “all” the information needs to be aired out. “And what better opportunity then to bring in the inspector general to answer our questions?” he said.
