The committee has not agreed to the request, because Chairman Bennie Thompson, a Democratic congressman from Mississippi, told reporters that the depositions were the property of the committee, according to the spokesman.
The other source said simply that there’s been no response from the committee since the letter requesting the transcripts was sent in late April.
The Justice Department wants the transcripts to help its investigation and bring in witnesses, according to the source familiar with the matter. The source did not specify which transcripts were being requested.
The Justice Department has declined to comment for this story.
The lack of cooperation on the transcripts surfaces some simmering frustration between the committee and the Justice Department.
One particular source of tension has been the contempt referral for Trump White House chief of staff Mark Meadows which, more than five months since it was sent over by the House, still has not been acted on by the Justice Department, another source familiar with the matter said. The committee has been frustrated by the lack of response, after the quick decision by the Justice Department to indict Steve Bannon within weeks of the committee sending the referral.
Committee members have been publicly critical of the lack of movement in those cases.
“This committee is doing its job,” committee member Zoe Lofgren, a California Democrat, said in a March meeting of the committee. “The Department of Justice needs to do theirs.”
The frustration reflects a reality that the Justice Department rarely shares information with the Hill in the middle of an ongoing investigation, especially one being probed by Congress as well.
Attorney General Merrick Garland has not commented publicly about the Meadows referral, saying in late April, “We don’t comment on ongoing referrals.”
Democratic Rep. Jamie Raskin of Maryland, who is on the committee, told CNN that both the panel and the Justice Department can benefit from sharing information.
“The interviews in the possession of the committee are the property of the committee,” Raskin said.
Referring to the DOJ, he added, “And I imagine that the committee will want to see any relevant evidence used in any relevant legal context.”
This story has been updated with additional developments Tuesday.