Having Rep. Jim Jordan (R-OH) as chairman of the House Judiciary Committee has always been a risky proposition for Republicans. Jordan is more famous for his grandstanding in conservative media than for his acumen or expertise in the House of Representatives.
Jordan’s main nuance is that he is endlessly loyal to Donald Trump and will never allow the Judiciary Committee to conduct any investigation into Trump or his administration.
Outside of Speaker Mike Johnson, there is no greater poster child for the Republican majority in the House than Jim Jordan.
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Jordan’s goal in leading the Judiciary Committee is to abuse its power to investigate those who have attempted to hold Donald Trump accountable for alleged crimes.
While Republicans in the House filled their committees with leaders who would be loyal to Trump, Democrats filled their posts with experienced investigators and lawmakers who know how to use their oversight power and effectively manage congressional hearings.
Rep. Jamie Raskin is one of those Democrats. He is a lawyer and constitutionalist, and a person who knows how to properly and effectively use House oversight.
When Jordan gave Raskin a big opening by attempting to investigate former special counsel Jack Smith, the Maryland Democrat seized the opportunity.
Jim Jordan wants Jack Smith to testify behind closed doors. Smith wants to testify in public.
Raskin wrote a letter to Jordan urging him to allow Smith to testify before the nation.
Rep. Raskin wrote:
Last week, I applauded your call for transparency regarding Special Counsel Jack Smith’s investigation into how President Trump knowingly kept hundreds of highly classified files at his Mar-a-Lago club, then defied subpoenas, obstructed law enforcement, actively hid evidence, and lied about the continued retention of those files. I commended you for apparently joining us in demanding the full release of Mr. Smith’s report – paid for by American taxpayers – as well as all the accompanying documents that the Department of Justice (DOJ) has desperately hidden.