Watch video: Congressman Jim Jordan has heated exchange with deputy attorney general

Local Congressman Jim Jordan and U.S. Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein had a heated back-and-forth at a hearing Thursday on the FBI, Russia investigation.

Rosenstein appeared to score a direct hit against Rep. Jim Jordan during a contentious House hearing Thursday. And it all had to do with the difference between phone calls and phone records.

Jordan, R-Urbana, repeatedly asked Rosenstein whether he had threatened to subpoena phone calls and e-mails from House Republicans and staffers on the House Intelligence Committee.

Jordan was referring to a Fox News report this month that Rosenstein vowed to subpoena emails and phone records from GOP lawmakers, a story which prompted U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions to say he was “confident” Rosenstein “did not improperly threaten anyone on that occasion.”

But Jordan appeared to confuse phone calls with phone records when he asked Rosenstein, “Did you threaten to subpoena their calls and emails?”

“No sir, and there's no way to subpoena phone calls,” Rosenstein replied, prompting some members of the audience to laugh.

“Well, I mean, I'm reading what the press said,” Jordan continued.

“I would suggest that you not rely on what the press says, sir,” Rosenstein replied.

The federal government can subpoena phone records, but not phone calls.

House Republicans held the hearing into a Justice Department’s inspector general report which questioned the leadership of the department and the FBI about their investigation into Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton’s e-mails.

 
 

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