Thursday, 07 November 2024

House takes action against DOJ after Garland fails to hand over transcripts of Biden's interview with special counsel


House takes action against DOJ after Garland fails to hand over transcripts of Biden's interview with special counsel House takes action against DOJ after Garland fails to hand over transcripts of Biden's interview with special counsel

House Republicans sent the Justice Department a subpoena on Tuesday for materials from special counsel Robert Hur's investigation into President Joe Biden's classified documents scandal.

On Feb. 12, three House committees — Judiciary, Oversight, and Ways and Means — sent Attorney General Merrick Garland a letter requesting the transcript of audio of Hur's interview with Biden, in addition to other specific materials related to Hur's investigation. The committees asked the DOJ to produce the records by Feb. 19 — a deadline the DOJ ignored.

On Feb. 16, the DOJ told the committees it was "working to gather and process" the requested materials. The agency cited confidentiality and classification issues for the delay but declined to say when the agency would produce the materials.

The subpoena now compels the DOJ to hand over the relevant materials by 9 a.m. on March 7.

Lawmakers require the documents for two important purposes. A new letter sent to Garland about the subpoena explained:

  • Biden impeachment inquiry: "The Committees are concerned that President Biden may have retained sensitive documents related to specific countries involving his family’s foreign business dealings."
  • Oversight of DOJ investigation of Donald Trump: "Additionally, the Judiciary Committee requires these materials for its ongoing oversight of the Department's commitment to impartial justice and its handling of the investigation and prosecution of President Biden’s presumptive opponent, President Donald J. Trump, in the November 2024 presidential election."
  • In a statement, House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jim Jordan (D) said that Hur's report "made two things clear: there's a double standard of justice in this country and Joe Biden isn't fit for office."

    "Now that special counsel Hur's investigation has concluded, the American people have a right to know whether President Biden retained classified documents related to his family's overseas business dealings," he explained. "While the special counsel may have declined to charge the president citing his memory problems, Congress and the American people do not consider 'elderly and well-meaning' a defense for corruption.'

    Hur's investigation will become a major story again next month when the special counsel visits Capitol Hill on March 12 to testify about his investigation and its conclusions.

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