The proposal calls for measures to rein in ‘abusive federal law enforcement agencies.’
House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jim Jordan (R-Ohio) proposed a package of measures on Monday to “defund lawfare” activities by prosecutors who are leading “politically sensitive investigations.”
The committee, in a post on X, pointed to the prosecution of former President Donald Trump, the presumptive GOP nominee for president.
Special counsel Jack Smith, Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis, Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg, and New York Attorney General Letitia James were all named in the post announcing the proposal, which includes measures to rein in “politicized prosecutions.”
The proposal comes quickly after a New York jury found President Trump guilty on all 34 counts of falsifying business records, in charges brought by Mr. Bragg.
President Trump also faces criminal charges from Mr. Smith in both Washington and Florida; he is awaiting a trial date on charges brought by Ms. Willis in Georgia; and he is awaiting a Supreme Court ruling on whether presidential immunity applies to his actions to challenge the results of the 2020 elections.
Mr. Jordan framed the proposals as a “powerful check against the weaponization of the federal government.”
“On behalf of the Committee and the Select Subcommittee, enclosed please find an initial list of suggested priorities to be included in the fiscal year 2025 appropriations bills. Like last year, these proposals stem from our robust oversight and legislative efforts, which will continue throughout the remainder of the 118th Congress,” Mr. Jordan wrote.
Proposal to ‘Defund’ FBI, Protect Whistleblowers, and More
Mr. Jordan’s proposal specifically aims to prohibit the funding of politically sensitive investigations, protect whistleblowers against retaliation, prevent taxpayer funds from being used to implement “radical regulations,” prohibit the funding of “disastrous Biden immigration policies,” and stop the funding of “government censorship.”
The recommendations highlight the influx of around 6.5 million illegal immigrants, which includes millions released or those deemed “gotaways” under the Biden administration. Mr. Jordan called on the House panel to eliminate federal funding that supports such “open-border immigration policies.”
Turning to the “troubling rise in politicized prosecutions,” which Mr. Jordan described as “lawfare” tactics used to target President Trump as he runs for president, the proposal calls for measures to rein in “abusive federal law enforcement agencies.”
“We have seen rogue prosecutors abuse the rules of professional conduct and their duty to do justice in service of politicized ends,” he wrote.
Invoking whistleblower testimony about “egregious abuses” and mishandling of resources, Mr. Jordan called on the Appropriations Committee chair to ensure the next appropriations package includes language eliminating any funding for the FBI that isn’t essential to executing its mission. The measures should also rescind prior funding and ban new taxpayer funding for any new FBI headquarters facility.
“We also recommend tying funding for the FBI to specific policy changes—such as requiring the FBI to record interviews—that will promote accountability and transparency at the FBI,” Mr. Jordan wrote.
Mr. Jordan pointed out that the House Judiciary has already passed specific bills to address politicized prosecutions, namely the “No More Political Prosecutions Act” and the “Forfeiture Funds Expenditure Transparency Act.”
Furthermore, he recommended stronger protections for FBI whistleblowers to safeguard them from retaliation. He also proposed prohibiting the funding of censorship of Americans online for “mis-, dis-, or mal-information,” as well as other forms of suppression of free speech. He linked these issues to the Department of Homeland Security Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency’s (CISA) Foreign Influence Operations and Disinformation office, the Global Engagement Center, and other governmental and non-governmental entities.
