Contempt Charges Loom as White House Continues to Stonewall Congress

With the White House refusing to turn over documents and communications relating to a scheme to use federal law enforcement to target parents critical of liberal education policies, the U.S. House of Representatives is warning that subpoenas, as possible contempt charges, are next.

House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, issued letters to White House Chief of Staff Ron Klain, Attorney General Garland, FBI Director Wray, DHS Secretary Mayorkas, Education Secretary Cardona, ATF Director Dettelbach and DEA Administrator Milgram renewing outstanding requests for communications and documents concerning the misuse of federal criminal and counterterrorism resources to target concerned parents at school board meetings.

“For two years, the Biden Administration has stonewalled Congress, refused to comply with basic document requests, and avoided transparency and accountability for its failures,” Committee Republicans said in a press release.

“House Judiciary Republicans are committed to holding each agency accountable under the new majority and will use compulsory processes, if necessary, to get answers for the American people,” Committee Republicans added.

“Since the beginning of the Biden Administration, we have made several requests for information and documents concerning the misuse of federal criminal and counterterrorism resources to target concerned parents at school board meetings. These requests remain outstanding,” Jordan’s letter to Klain begins.

Not only has the White House refused to comply, it’s been openly contemptuous of any questioning.

“To date, you have not complied with our long-outstanding requests for information and documents. Instead, the Biden White House provided a perfunctory letter that discounted Congress’s constitutional oversight authorities, failed to produce any documents or information requested, and declined to address any matters of substance,” Jordan continues.

“The White House leaked this letter to the media, and briefed at least one reporter on it, before transmitting the letter to the Committee at 4:34 a.m.—severely undercutting the White House’s purported commitment to working with us in ‘good faith,’” Jordan adds.

Jordan then makes clear Congress is prepared to force White House officials to comply, under threat of contempt charges.

“The Administration’s stonewalling must stop. Accordingly, we reiterate our outstanding requests—itemized in our letter dated November 18, 2022, and its enclosure, and incorporated herein—and ask that you provide this material immediately,” Jordan writes.

“We are prepared to resort to compulsory process, if necessary, to obtain this material,” Jordan warns.

Congress’ previous Democrat leaders made frequent use of contempt charges, finding five Trump administration figures, Attorney General William Barr, Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross, Homeland Security Secretary Chad Wolf, Chief of Staff Mark Meadows and Trump adviser Steve Bannon guilty of failure to fully comply with requests for testimony or documents.

Bannon’s contempt charge led to a grand jury indictment and a criminal conviction on two charges of contempt of Congress. He is currently free while appealing his conviction and sentence of four months in prison and a $6,500 fine.

The opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the positions of American Liberty News.

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