The U.S. House Committee on the Judiciary has voted to advance contempt proceedings against Attorney General Merrick Garland after President Joe Biden invoked executive privilege.
The president cited executive privilege on Thursday morning to block House Republicans from obtaining audio recordings of his interviews with special counsel Robert Hur regarding his mishandling of classified documents.
Per CNN:
The panel approved a report recommending a contempt of Congress resolution against Garland for failing to comply with a congressional subpoena, paving the way for the full House to vote on holding the attorney general in contempt, though it is not clear when that vote could take place. The House Oversight Committee will also take up the issue of contempt for Garland Thursday evening.
Republicans have seized on Hur's description of Biden as a “well-meaning, elderly man with a poor memory” in his final report, a characterization that Biden has disputed. Republicans say that access to the tapes would provide valuable information beyond what a written transcript can provide, but the Department of Justice has raised questions over whether the House GOP is seeking the audio files solely for political purposes and maintains they have distinct privacy concerns to protect.
The special counsel report quickly became a political problem for the president, spotlighting an issue that has proven to be intractable for Biden: his age. The White House and Biden's campaign reacted furiously to Hur's characterization of the president, launching a fierce defense aimed at beating back the special counsel's allegations that Biden was forgetful — particularly on the matter of whether the president recalled the year in which his son died.
Republican lawmakers had previously subpoenaed the audio recordings of Biden's interviews, along with his ghostwriter, Mark Zwonitzer and other items from Hur's investigation into Biden's handling of classified information.
Hur did not recommend charging Biden in his report.
This is a breaking news story. Please check back for updates.
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