The House Judiciary Committee, led by Chairman 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), allege politicization of regulatory actions during the closing days of the Biden-Harris administration.
In each letter, Jordan accused the agencies of actions inconsistent with their statutory authority, issuing clear demands for transparency as President-elect Donald Trump prepares to assume office in January.
Addressing Assistant Attorney General Jonathan Kanter, Jordan’s letter criticized the Antitrust Division’s alleged escalation of 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 enforcemnt actions and demanded rolling production of documents by November 29, 2024. Jordan also issued a formal request to preserve all existing and future records and communications.
Jordan’s letter to FTC Chair Lina Khan 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 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 further demanded the production of documents withheld during previous oversight requests and reiterated the directive to preserve all records and communications.
The Commodity Futures Trading Commission’s handling of political prediction markets was also a focus. Jordan’s letter to CFTC Chairman Rostin Behnam cited federal court decisions ruling that the CFTC’s actions against KalshiEX LLC exceeded its statutory 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.” This 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.
