House Republicans launch inquiry into D.C. AG's investigation of Leonard Leo

House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jim Jordan and House Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer on Monday launched an inquiry into Washington, D.C. Attorney General Brian Schwalb's investigation of conservative legal activist Leonard Leo.

Writing to Schwalb, the pair asserted that Leo faced baseless accusations of financial improprieties and that the attorney general's investigation appeared politically motivated.

"Given prior attempts by state attorneys general to target conservative nonprofits and their donors—and your apparent political motivations for investigating Mr. Leo—the Committees are concerned about potential infringement on free association and donor privacy," they wrote. "To ensure that these vital constitutional protections are being respected, the Committees are seeking additional information about your efforts and would appreciate your full cooperation with our inquiry."

"On March 1, 2023, Politico published an article accusing Mr. Leo of benefitting financially from the conservative nonprofits with which he is affiliated. Three weeks later, Campaign for Accountability—a progressive 'watchdog' organization with ties to liberal dark money—filed a complaint with the Internal Revenue Service (IRS), asking the agency to investigate these nonprofit organizations," they continued. "The complaint alleged, without evidence, that Mr. Leo received excessive payments for consulting and other services from the several conservative nonprofit groups. Even Politico conceded that the complaint offered nothing more than speculation to support its accusations."

They further expressed concerns that Schwalb lacks jurisdiction to pursue the investigation, since Leo and his affiliated organizations are based outside of the District of Columbia.

"Worse yet, the Committees are troubled that your investigation could infringe upon the fundamental rights of donor privacy and free association," Jordan and Comer wrote, before advising Schwalb to address the crime wave in D.C. and other pertinent local matters rather than pursue the probe.

The pair further demanded that he provide them with documents and communications related to the investigation into Leo by Nov. 13 and that he schedule a briefing for them on the investigation.

Ben Whedon is an editor and reporter for Just the News. Follow him on X, formerly Twitter.