The House Judiciary Committee voted Thursday to hold Attorney General Merrick Garland in contempt of Congress for refusing to turn over audio recordings of special counsel Robert K. Hur’s interviews with President Biden over his mishandling of classified documents.
The Republican-led panel voted 18-15 hours after the president sought to shield the attorney general. Mr. Biden asserted executive privilege over the audiotapes that Mr. Hur used during his two-day interview in October.
Judiciary Committee Chairman Jim Jordan, Ohio Republican, said the president’s last-minute executive privilege assertion underscores the recordings’ “unique perspective” and that the panel wants to review them to determine whether Mr. Biden received favorable treatment by the Justice Department.
“This latest invocation does not change the fact that the attorney general has not complied with our subpoena,” Mr. Jordan said.
The measure now moves to a vote before the Republican-led House. If the House passes the resolution, the contempt charge will be referred to the Justice Department.
“This latest invocation does not change the fact that the attorney general has not complied with our subpoena,” Mr. Jordan said.
The measure now moves to a vote before the Republican-led House. If the House passes the resolution, the contempt charge will be referred to the Justice Department.
People prosecuted and convicted of a contempt citation face a fine of up to $100,000 and imprisonment “for not less than one month nor more than 12 months.” Mr. Garland, who oversees the department, is likely to ignore it.
In his interview with Mr. Hur, Mr. Biden revealed his mishandling of classified documents while vice president and dating back to his time as a senator.
Mr. Garland has also denied House lawmakers the audio recordings of Mr. Hur’s interview with Mark Zwonitzer, the ghostwriter for Mr. Biden’s 2017 memoir, “Promise Me, Dad.”
The Justice Department released redacted transcripts of the Hur interviews earlier this year, but lawmakers say they need the audiotapes to determine whether prosecutors are delivering impartial justice.
Mr. Biden’s Republican opponent in November, former President Donald Trump, is facing dozens of charges in Florida by special counsel Jack Smith over a stash of classified documents he took from the White House in January 2017 and stored at his Mar-a-Lago estate.
Mr. Biden received an $8 million advance for his memoir, and Mr. Hur cited it as one of the president’s motivations for taking the classified documents.
People prosecuted and convicted of a contempt citation face a fine of up to $100,000 and imprisonment “for not less than one month nor more than 12 months.” Mr. Garland, who oversees the department, is likely to ignore it.
In his interview with Mr. Hur, Mr. Biden revealed his mishandling of classified documents while vice president and dating back to his time as a senator.
Mr. Garland has also denied House lawmakers the audio recordings of Mr. Hur’s interview with Mark Zwonitzer, the ghostwriter for Mr. Biden’s 2017 memoir, “Promise Me, Dad.”
The Justice Department released redacted transcripts of the Hur interviews earlier this year, but lawmakers say they need the audiotapes to determine whether prosecutors are delivering impartial justice.
Mr. Biden’s Republican opponent in November, former President Donald Trump, is facing dozens of charges in Florida by special counsel Jack Smith over a stash of classified documents he took from the White House in January 2017 and stored at his Mar-a-Lago estate.
Mr. Biden received an $8 million advance for his memoir, and Mr. Hur cited it as one of the president’s motivations for taking the classified documents.