Justice Department says it can't comply with congressional request for non-public records in Biden classified documents probe

Washington – The Justice Department on Monday told the chairman of the House Judiciary Committee that it cannot comply with his requests for access to information related to the federal investigation into President Joe Biden's retention of classified documents from his time as vice president. 

In a letter to Republican Rep. Jim Jordan of Ohio, assistant Attorney General Carlos Uriarte wrote that department rules and norms surrounding ongoing investigations prevent it from further disclosure. 

"The Department's longstanding policy is to maintain the confidentiality of such information regarding open matters," Urirate wrote, according to a copy of the letter obtained by CBS News. "Disclosing non-public information about ongoing investigations could violate statutory requirements or court orders, reveal road maps of our investigations, and interfere with the Department's ability to gather facts, interview witnesses, and bring criminal prosecutions where warranted."