Rep. Eric Swalwell (D-Calif.) called out the hypocrisy of Rep. Jim Jordan (R-Ohio) during a Judiciary subcommittee meeting on Friday.
Earlier this week, Jordan, who chairs the House Judiciary Committee, issued a series of subpoenas as part of a GOP-led investigation into the harassment of parents who protested the school board’s “building” policy. He also issued three subpoenas for testimony related to the now-defunct Department of Homeland Security’s Disinformation Governance Council.
While discussing subpoena compliance at a meeting of the Oversight Responsiveness and Accountability Subcommittee, Swalwell noted to Subcommittee Chairman Ben Cline (R-Va.) that he found Jordan’s opinion on subpoenas “pretty rich,” considering Ohio Republicans seem to take the “rules” for you, not for me” approach.
“I think it’s pretty rich that we’re talking about subpoena compliance under the chairmanship of the full committee who really didn’t comply with subpoenas in the last Congress,” Swalwell said, noting that Jordan refused to cooperate with the subpoena from January 1. 6 committees.
Swalwell noted that Jordan’s subpoena came from the chairman “who did not comply with the committee’s request on January 6,” and flashed legal documents on the screen, followed by sworn photographs that he, Jordan and every other member. Congress stepped in when they took office.
“[Jordan] was asked repeatedly, ‘You are a witness to a crime – you are a witness to the biggest crime ever committed, with the most criminals ever charged in America. Are you going to help your country, are you going to obey that subpoena?’” Swalwell said.
“There is no compliance. cricket. Absolute defiance of subpoenas,” he said.
You can see the exchange below.
Other Twitter users had strong reactions.