House Oversight and Judiciary Committees Poised to Hold Attorney General Garland in Contempt

The House Oversight and Judiciary Committees are scheduled to meet on Thursday to consider a resolution holding Attorney General Merrick Garland in contempt of Congress for failing to produce the subpoenaed audio recording of President Biden's interview with Special Counsel Robert Hur.

The House Oversight and Judiciary Committees are set to consider a resolution on Thursday to hold Attorney General Merrick Garland in contempt of Congress for refusing to produce the subpoenaed audio recording of President Biden's interview with Special Counsel Robert Hur.

The move comes after the Justice Department last month reminded the committees that it had produced a transcript of Biden's interview with the special counsel and would not turn over the audio recording.

House Oversight Committee Chair James Comer (R-Ky.) and House Judiciary Committee Chair Jim Jordan (R-Ohio) had previously threatened to hold Garland in contempt over the Justice Department's failure to produce the audio recordings.

Each committee will meet on Thursday at 11:00 a.m. on Capitol Hill.

Republicans are considering holding Garland in contempt over his failure to produce the subpoenaed audio recording of Biden's interview with Hur, who investigated Biden's mishandling and retention of classified documents.

Hur released his report to the public in February after months of investigation. He did not recommend criminal charges against Biden and stated that he would not bring charges even if Biden were not in the Oval Office.

However, Hur's report described Biden as a "sympathetic, well-meaning elderly man with a poor memory" — a description that has raised concerns for Biden's 2024 reelection campaign.

Republicans initially subpoenaed Garland for the audio recording in March and set a deadline to turn it over by April 8.

Comer said Monday that Garland "has refused to provide the audio files of President Biden’s interview with the Special Counsel."

"The House Oversight and Judiciary Committees issued lawful subpoenas to Attorney General Garland for the audio recordings of President Biden’s interview with Special Counsel Hur, yet he continues to defy our subpoenas," Comer said in a statement.

"These audio recordings are important to our investigation of President Biden’s willful retention of classified documents and his fitness to be President of the United States."

Jordan also expressed frustration with Garland's refusal to produce the audio recordings.

"Attorney General Garland has repeatedly refused to comply with our lawful subpoenas for the audio recordings of President Biden’s interview with Special Counsel Hur," Jordan said in a statement.

"This is a clear obstruction of justice and we will not tolerate it. We will continue to pursue all available legal options to obtain these recordings."

If the committees vote to hold Garland in contempt, the resolution would then go to the full House for a vote. If approved by the House, the matter would be referred to the U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia for prosecution.

The move to hold Garland in contempt is the latest escalation in the ongoing battle between the House Republicans and the Biden administration over the classified documents investigation.

Republicans have accused Biden of mishandling classified information and have demanded access to the audio recordings of his interview with Hur.

The Biden administration has defended its handling of the investigation and has said that it is cooperating with Congress.

However, the Justice Department has declined to turn over the audio recordings, citing concerns about protecting the integrity of the investigation.