DOJ denies request from House Judiciary Committee for sensitive information

The Justice Department denied a request from the House Judiciary Committee Chair Jim Jordan for sensitive information about the DOJ's investigation into classified documents found at President Joe Biden's home and a former office.

In a letter obtained by NBC News, a top DOJ official said the department would cooperate as much as possible, but wouldn't reveal non-public information about the probe.

The Department s longstanding policy is to keep the confidentiality of information regarding open matters, Assistant Attorney General for Legislative Affairs Carlos Uriarte wrote to Jordan, R-Ohio.

Disclosing non-public information about ongoing investigations could violate statutory requirements or court orders, reveal road maps of our investigations, and interfere with the Department's ability to gather facts, interview witnesses, and bring criminal prosecutions where warranted. He said that maintaining confidentiality protects the legal rights, personal safety, and privacy interests of individuals who are involved in our investigations.

Jordan demanded information about the discovery of Obama-era documents that had been in Biden's possession, including all records and communications regarding the Justice Department's investigation.

Russell Dye said in a statement that the Department is more interested in playing politics than cooperating.

A House Democratic aide said the Justice Department's response should not have surprised the Ohio Republican. Jim Jordan knew that he wasn't entitled to disrupt ongoing criminal investigations. The question is whether he will pretend to be outraged or sit down and work with a Department that seems willing to give him some of the information he requested, or whether he will actually have his pearls and pretend to be outraged.

Uriarte notified Jordan earlier this month about the DOJ's policy regarding ongoing investigations.

Uriarte wrote at the time that the longstanding Department policy prevents us from confirming or denying the existence of pending investigations in response to congressional requests or providing non-public information about our investigations.

In a letter to the Senate Intelligence Committee obtained by NBC News on Sunday, Uriarte said the Justice Department was working with the intelligence community to provide some insight into the national security assessments that were underway in the Biden case and a separate investigation into documents that had been withheld from the Justice Department by former President Donald Trump.

He said that prosecutors are actively working to share information with the Committee, as well as the Office of the Director of National Intelligence. Senate Intelligence Committee Chair Mark Warner, D-Va., told reporters Monday that the Justice Department letter did not give us any guidance on when panel members are going to get a substantive response.

Senators on the committee were fumed last week after National Intelligence Director Avril Haines sounded in a closed-door briefing and refused to show them copies of the classified documents discovered at Trump's Mar-a-Lago resort and Biden's office and Delaware home.