(PartiallyPolitics.com) – On Monday, the House was notified that the Department of Justice had served a grand jury subpoena to the Office of Sergeant at Arms in an attempt to gain access to certain documents.
House Sergeant at Arms William McFarland’s message was relayed to the lower chamber by clerk Susan Cole who informed the chamber, including House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., that there was a grand jury subpoena for documents that had been issued by the Justice Department. She added that following a consultation with the general counsel office they have determined that complying with the subpoena was consistent with the House’s rights.
The sergeant at arms is the House’s protocol officer and is the one tasked with maintaining order in the House. Their duties include any issues relating to the security of the members of the Capitol Complex and Congress. They are also tasked with coordinating with intelligence agencies in order to assess any possible threats against the Capitol complex.
Paul Irving, the previous House sergeant at arms, had served for nine years and had put forward his resignation on Jan. 7, 2021, a day after the Capitol riot.
The subject of the subpoena has not been revealed to the public by the Department of Justice or the House Sergeant at arms. This has resulted in a lot of speculations regarding the focus of these documents, with many claiming that it could potentially be linked to the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol attack. However, this is not backed by any available evidence which could mean that the focus of the request is entirely different.
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