Washington: The chairman of the US House Judiciary Committee has indicated that former Attorney General Merrick Garland and Senator Adam Schiff might be summoned to testify regarding leaked intelligence related to the investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election. Jim Jordan, speaking during a television appearance on Tuesday, expressed interest in examining the FBI's official report that summarizes a witness interview, saying, "Yeah, I would like to probably talk to the individual who did the 302 . We just got this information. We're just digging through it."
According to Anadolu Agency, the remarks from Jordan came following the publication of FBI interview records by the website Just the News. These records suggested that a longtime Democratic staffer of the House Intelligence Committee had repeatedly warned the FBI starting in 2017 that Schiff approved leaking classified information to damage then-President Donald Trump. Jordan stressed the importance of accountability and transparency, stating, "In my mind, I always say everything's on the table. The American people deserve the truth. People who did real wrongdoing should be held accountable. So, we'll evaluate all that."
Jordan criticized the Justice Department's lack of pursuit regarding these allegations and pointed out that former FBI Director Chris Wray had not shared this information with Congress. He acknowledged the efforts of current FBI Director Kash Patel for bringing the issue to light, noting that the committee will seek legal counsel on how to proceed, especially regarding the application of the speech and debate clause. "I think the first step is for us to consult with our lawyers on House Counsel ... right on speech and debate (and) how that would apply, and with the facts of this situation here," he added.
The discussion around potential testimonies is part of a broader investigation into allegations made by US Attorney General Pam Bondi. On August 5, Bondi directed staff to initiate a grand jury investigation based on claims presented by Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard. Gabbard accused former officials of attempting to link Trump to Russia, and the Justice Department confirmed receiving a criminal referral from her last month.
In July, Gabbard accused former US President Barack Obama of orchestrating the manipulation of intelligence to suggest Russian interference in the 2016 election to benefit Trump. She asserted there was "irrefutable evidence" detailing how Obama and his national security team directed an intelligence community assessment they knew was false. Trump echoed these accusations against Obama, accusing him of orchestrating a "coup" and urging authorities to investigate his predecessor's actions.
In response, Obama's office dismissed Trump's allegations as "bizarre . outrageous" and described them as a "ridiculous and weak attempt at distraction." They firmly rejected claims of manipulating US intelligence regarding the election interference.
The US intelligence community had concluded in 2017 that Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered an influence campaign aimed at undermining public faith in the US democratic process and harming Trump's electoral opponent, Hillary Clinton. These conclusions were confirmed by a bipartisan congressional committee led by then-Senator Marco Rubio, who is now the Secretary of State.