Jordan (R-Ohio) blasted Thomas Windom, a veteran attorney and former senior assistant to Smith’s 2020 election probe, for failing to answer his committee’s questions and giving shifting rationales for his refusal to do so.

“Congress cannot perform its oversight function if witnesses who appear before its committees corruptly refuse to provide information that the law requires them to furnish,” Jordan wrote in a Wednesday letter to Attorney General Pam Bondi.

“The obstruction of a committee investigation undermines Congress’s core constitutional oversight obligations.”Windom had been under subpoena to appear before the House Judiciary Committee since Sept. 30 after Jordan was unsatisfied with his previous answers to the panel during a prior voluntary appearance.Jordan was rankled by Windom’s refusal to answer key questions about the Smith probe’s interactions with the since-defunct House Select Jan. 6 Committee, surveillance of Rep. Scott Perry (R-Pa.), and investigation into certain members of Congress, among other topics.The Judiciary Committee chairman argued that Windom had authorization from the Justice Department to answer the committee’s questions, but refused to do so.“Windom declined to answer multiple questions during this transcribed interview on the inaccurate basis that DOJ had not authorized testimony about those topics,” Jordan wrote in his letter.

Windom had invoked his Fifth Amendment right against self-incrimination and cited rules about grand jury secrecy as partial justification for declining to answer the committee’s questions.

Jordan noted that prosecutor JP Cooney, who was in a similar position as Windom, had been more candid with the panel.

The Post reached out to Windom’s attorney for comment.

“It is now plain that the majority is disinterested in pursuing a legitimate legislative inquiry,” Windom’s attorney said during his client’s questioning on Sept. 30. “They have intentionally placed him on the horns of an impossible dilemma, forcing him to choose between risking criminal prosecution for violating grand jury secrecy rules or, alternatively, risking criminal prosecution for contempt of Congress.”

Transcripts show Windom even ducked basic questions about where he worked and whether he is still a practicing lawyer.

“I respectfully decline to respond for the reasons stated by my counsel,” he replied to that question.

The House Judiciary Committee has been probing Smith’s investigation into President Trump and efforts by Republicans to reverse Joe Biden’s 2020 election inquiry.

As part of that probe, Jordan requested that Smith answer questions before his panel last month.

Advertisement

Advertisement