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‘Preserve Your Records’: House Committee Sends Warning to Biden-Harris Officials

By CONGRESS

The House Judiciary Committee, chaired by Jim Jordan (R-OH), issued a series of letters on Thursday demanding the preservation of records and the production of documents from multiple federal agencies as part of its oversight efforts. The letters, sent to officials in the Department of Justice (DOJ), the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), and the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC), accuse these agencies of politicizing regulatory actions during the final days of the Biden-Harris administration.

In each letter, Jordan claimed the agencies acted beyond their statutory authority and made clear demands for transparency as President-elect Donald Trump prepares to take office in January. In a letter addressed to Assistant Attorney General Jonathan Kanter, Jordan criticized the Antitrust Division for allegedly escalating enforcement actions against American businesses following the 2024 presidential election.



“The Antitrust Division aggressively moved to escalate its regulation of American businesses shortly following the election of President Trump,” the letter stated. “Specifically, we have received allegations that the Division sent demand letters to numerous businesses indicating an intention to start enforcement actions in the final days of the Biden-Harris Administration.”

The committee requested all documents and communications from November 5, 2024, to January 20, 2025, related to enforcement actions and demanded a rolling production of documents by November 29, 2024. Jordan also issued a formal request to preserve all existing and future records and communications. In his letter to FTC Chair Lina Khan, Jordan accused the agency of failing to cooperate with previous oversight efforts and engaging in “partisan activity,” including the alleged hiring of a new FTC Inspector General just three days after Trump’s election.

“The failed Biden-Harris FTC should not choose the new FTC Inspector General. This decision should be left to the incoming Trump administration,” the letter read. The committee requested the release of documents previously withheld and emphasized the importance of preserving all records and communications. The CFTC’s management of political prediction markets was scrutinized. Jordan’s letter to CFTC Chairman Rostin Behnam referenced federal court decisions that determined the CFTC’s actions against KalshiEX LLC exceeded its legal authority.

“The Committee is concerned that, in overstepping its statutory authority, the Commission is attempting to regulate by enforcement and restrict the contracts offered by Kalshi simply because those contracts are disfavored by the CFTC and its staff,” Jordan’s letter stated. The letter demanded the preservation of all related records and a cessation of regulatory activities.

Across all three letters, Jordan called for the need for agencies to take steps to prevent “the destruction or alteration, whether intentionally or negligently, of all documents, communications, and other information, including electronic information and metadata.” The directive included preserving messages on both official and personal devices, encrypted platforms, and phone-based applications. The letters represent an escalation in Republican-led oversight efforts, with Jordan calling the actions necessary to “understand the full extent of the politicization” of federal agencies under the Biden-Harris administration.





Disclaimer: This article may contain commentary which reflects the author’s opinion.