Swalwell Drags Jordan in Hearing for Defying Congressional Summons: ‘Quite Rich That We Are Talking About Subpoena Compliance’ Here

Rep. Eric Swalwell (D-CA) used his time during a Judiciary subcommittee hearing about “compliance with committee oversight” to highlight Chairman Jim Jordan’s (R-OH) noncompliance with a congressional subpoena issued last year.

In January 2022, the House select committee investigating the Jan. 6, 2021 Capitol riot subpoenaed Jordan after he admitted he was in contact with then-President Donald Trump on the day of the riot. Jordan responded by refusing to appear before the committee, where he could have invoked his Fifth Amendment right to protect against possible self-incrimination.

According to the committee’s findings, Trump watched the riot unfold on television as aides pleaded with him in vain to get him to act.

“This request is far outside the bounds of any legitimate inquiry, violates core constitutional principles and would serve to further erode legislative norms,” Jordan wrote to the committee chair, Rep. Bennie Thompson (D-MS).

On Thursday, Swalwell had a field day during a hearing of the Subcommittee on Responsiveness and Accountability To Oversight.

“I think it’s quite rich that we are talking about subpoena compliance under a chairman of the full committee who was absolutely out of subpoena compliance in the last Congress,” Swalwell said. “So we’re gonna haul witnesses in here today and claim that they did not comply with subpoenas or requests. And that request is so rich because it’s coming from a chairman who himself did not comply with the Jan. 6 committee’s requests.”

The congressman displayed a copy of the subpoena issued to Jordan on a projector.

“No compliance,” Swalwell said of Jordan’s response – or lack thereof. “Crickets. Absolute defiance of a subpoena. And because of that defiance, the chairman was referred – and still pending – to the House Ethics Committee.”

Swalwell went on to say Jordan’s congressional oath should have compelled him to testify before the committee, which has since disbanded.

“So this our chairman, hauling all us here, everyone here today” he continued. “People at the Department of Justice, the Department of Education – who are doing important work – to claim they are out of compliance when he himself is currently out of compliance.”