The House Judiciary Committee, led by Republican Chairman Jim Jordan, has escalated its scrutiny of the Justice Department’s antitrust lawsuit against Google. The committee has demanded a briefing from the Department on how it’s addressing potential conflicts of interest and political bias within the case.
This request stems from a recent revelation that Karen Dunn, Google’s lead attorney in the high-profile antitrust case, is simultaneously advising and preparing Vice President Kamala Harris for her upcoming debate against former President Donald Trump.
Dunn, an outside counsel for Google through the law firm Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison, is listed as a “lead attorney” in the Justice Department’s lawsuit against the tech giant. However, she also holds a position on Harris’ campaign team, specifically prepping her for the debate against Trump. Notably, Dunn previously advised Harris ahead of her 2020 vice presidential debate against then-Vice President Mike Pence.
The Trump campaign, last month, voiced concerns about a potential conflict of interest arising from Dunn’s dual roles.
Chairman Jordan, in a letter to Attorney General Merrick Garland, cited a Fox News Digital report highlighting Dunn’s involvement in both the Google lawsuit and Harris’ debate preparation. He emphasized the committee’s ongoing oversight of the executive branch’s potential collusion with companies to censor lawful speech.
“In light of existing evidence that the Biden-Harris Administration pressured and colluded with Google to censor the lawful speech of American citizens, we write to request a briefing about how the Department of Justice is working to combat potential conflicts of interest and political bias in United States v. Google LLC,” Jordan wrote in the letter.
He further expressed concerns that Dunn’s close ties to key figures in the Biden-Harris administration could create a bias in the Justice Department’s approach to the Google case.
Jordan reminded Garland that he pledged to ensure the Justice Department’s independence from partisan influence during his confirmation hearing. “This assertion is hard to square with reporting that Ms. Dunn is leading debate preparations for Vice President Harris while she also leads Google’s defense against a Biden-Harris administration lawsuit,” Jordan wrote.
Given these concerns, Jordan requested a briefing from the Justice Department by September 24th detailing its efforts to mitigate potential conflicts of interest and political bias in the Google antitrust case.
The Justice Department confirmed receipt of the letter but declined to comment on the matter.
The Harris campaign and Dunn have yet to respond to requests for comment on Dunn’s role in the debate preparation.
These developments come as Google faces increased scrutiny following an assassination attempt against former President Trump. Google initially blocked and removed search prompts related to the assassination attempt, citing its policy to prevent results for hypothetical political violence against current figures.
The House Judiciary Committee’s request for a briefing shines a light on the growing concerns regarding potential political influence within the Justice Department’s antitrust lawsuit against Google. The committee’s demand for transparency aims to ensure the fairness and impartiality of the proceedings.
