A major escalation of the Republican-led stalemate with the Justice Department occurred when House Republicans initiated the process of putting Attorney General Merrick Garland in contempt of Congress.
On Thursday, members of both parties voted in favor of recommending that the House full House hold Garland in contempt. On Thursday night, the Oversight Committee is anticipated to do the same. In order for the referral to proceed to a U.S. attorney, it must still gain the support of a majority of House members. This means that it must persuade over twelve moderate Republicans who are politically vulnerable and have voiced concerns about the increasing hostility within their party against the Department of Justice.
The decision was made after the Justice Department refused to comply with subpoenas from Republicans in the House seeking audio of an interview between then-special counsel Robert Hur and President Joe Biden. On Thursday morning, the White House notified Republican legislators that the president had claimed executive privilege over the recordings.
Because of Biden’s action, Garland will not be criminally prosecuted for evading the Hill subpoenas. Republicans, however, have pledged to proceed with the contempt recommendation regardless, aiming a symbolic jab at an administration official who has been a common focus of their criticism. Furthermore, Republicans are not excluding the possibility of suing to obtain the recordings.
Jim Jordan (R-Ohio), chair of the Judiciary Committee, informed reporters that the decision to proceed with the contempt proceedings was based on the belief that it is crucial for the committee to review all relevant information.
As part of their extensive impeachment investigation targeting the president, Republicans have zeroed in on Hur’s investigation into Biden’s handling of confidential papers. The investigation has so far centered on the family’s financial dealings. Republicans are still investigating behind the scenes, even though the impeachment process has virtually halted due to a lack of clear proof that centrists have stated is necessary to vote for the president’s removal.
Hur expressed concern in a report that was made public earlier this year by the Justice Department that the jury may view Biden as a “well-meaning, elderly man with a poor memory”—a characterization that provoked strong backlash from both Biden and Democrats in Congress.
The phrase has been used by Republicans to demand the transcript of Hur’s interview with Biden and other materials mentioned in the report of the former special counsel, as well as audio recordings. Although the text and required papers were both delivered by the Justice Department, the audio has been strenuously opposed to its release.
“The impanelment investigation is underway….” Republicans in Congress are looking into “very legitimate questions,” as Rep. Chip Roy of Texas put it. “Determining the president’s demeanor during that interview is critically important for the purposes of this body to determine where we’re going with an impeachment inquiry or any legislative inquiry.”
The House would send the case to the Department of Justice’s U.S. Attorney Matthew Graves if a majority vote to hold Garland in contempt was taken. Considering presidential privilege, Graves would decide whether to press criminal charges or dismiss them.
Republicans, Democrats said, were trying to use Hur’s findings to resurrect an impeachment attempt that was politically motivated. The Republicans, they think, are after the tape so that Trump’s team may use it in advertisements before the November election.
To add that the committee has “serious concerns about the competency of Donald Trump” to the GOP’s Garland contempt resolution—among other things—House Democrats attempted but failed to do so. Those changes were rejected by the Republicans who control the panel.
The obvious question is why my Republican colleagues require this audio file in the first place.On Thursday, Democratic Pennsylvania Representative Madeleine Dean claimed that some people believe they can use President Biden’s voice to get into the next Trump for president ad.
The Republican Party and the Justice Department have been at odds with the Hur audio for weeks, and Thursday’s exchange is the latest development in that dispute. When the Justice Department did not comply with the demand for the recording, Jordan and Oversight Chair James Comer (R-Ky.) threatened to begin contempt proceedings against Garland.
However, before delivering the recording to Congress, the DOJ had numerous concerns, one of which was that it would damage cooperation with further investigations. The Republicans, according to the officials, failed to adequately demonstrate how the audio would be superior to the transcript.
In a letter addressed to Biden on Wednesday, Garland claimed that the Committees’ demands do not justify the negative impact that recording them would have on future law enforcement investigations of a similar nature.
