The Justice Department has rejected a request from the House Oversight and Reform Committee for documents relating to the controversial citizenship question for the 2020 census.
In a letter addressed to Chairman Elijah Cummings, Assistant Attorney General Stephen Boyd said the documents in question are protected by various confidentiality privileges.
Therefore, Boyd wrote the committee's demand for those documents is "improper." But he said the DOJ intends to produce documents that are "consistent with Executive Branch confidentiality interests."
The committee is trying to gather information from the Trump administration about why it wants to add the question to the census.
Earlier this week, the committee said it was looking to hold Attorney General William Barr and Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross in contempt after they defied subpoenas for the census documents. The committee said it would hold off on a contempt vote if it received the requested documents by Thursday.
As Newsy previously reported, the addition of the question has been blocked three different times in federal courts. And now the case is working its way through the Supreme Court.
Additional reporting from Newsy affiliate CNN.
