House Republicans are moving forward with contempt of Congress charges against Attorney General Merrick Garland for refusing to comply with a subpoena for audio recordings of President Biden’s interview with former Special Counsel Robert Hur. The House Judiciary Committee plans to hold a markup meeting on May 16 to debate and consider amendments to the contempt resolution before sending it to the full House for a vote.
The subpoena for the audio files of Biden’s interview with Hur was issued in late February by House Oversight Committee Chairman Jim Jordan and House Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer after the Justice Department failed to comply with a request for documents related to the interview. A transcript of Hur’s interviews with Biden was eventually released by the DOJ, revealing instances where the president was confused about key dates.
Assistant Attorney General Carlos Uriarte rejected claims that the interview recordings contain relevant information to the Republican-led impeachment inquiry into Biden, stating that Garland had adequately complied with the subpoena by releasing the transcript. Uriarte argued that cooperation with the committees had been extraordinary and that the threats of contempt over the tapes were unjustifiable.
Hur, a former Trump-appointed US attorney, submitted a report in early February on Biden’s handling of classified information, noting evidence that the president willfully retained and disclosed classified materials. However, Hur’s team concluded there was not enough evidence to prove this beyond a reasonable doubt, expressing concern that a jury may view Biden sympathetically due to his age and memory issues.
Despite Uriarte’s assertions, House Republicans are continuing with their plans to move forward with the contempt charges against Garland. The upcoming markup meeting on May 16 will allow members to discuss and potentially amend the resolution before it is presented to the full House for a vote. The issue revolves around the audio recordings of Biden’s interview with Hur, with Republicans insisting on receiving the recordings to further their investigation while the DOJ argues that the transcripts were sufficient.
