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The Fight Over DOJ Records Has Two Leading Men and a Lot of Accusations

Justice Department is bracing for an onslaught of demands for records

Attorney General Merrick Garland, right, and Representative Jim Jordan — Attorney General Merrick Garland, right, and Representative Jim Jordan
Photographer: Al Drago/Bloomberg

By

Chris Strohm and

February 26, 2023, 12:00 PM UTC

The Justice Department is girding for bruising clashes with House Republicans armed with indignation and subpoena power, a drama set to play out between two protagonists who couldn’t be more different -- a combative former wrestling coach and a taciturn former federal judge.

One of those leading the charge in the House investigations of the Biden administration is Judiciary Chair Jim Jordan, an Ohio Republican known for his confrontational style and jacket-less work attire who fires off partisan taunts in an urgent staccato.