The House Judiciary Committee and the House Oversight and Accountability Committee have both set votes for Thursday to decide on contempt resolutions. Following a four-hour hearing, the Judiciary Committee has approved the contempt resolution with a vote of 18-15, strictly along party lines.
If the resolutions receive approval, the full House will have to consider them. However, it is worth noting that the Justice Department has chosen not to pursue charges against two former attorneys general who were held in contempt by the House. These individuals include Republican Bill Barr in 2019 and Democrat Eric Holder in 2012.
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- 1 House GOP seeks recording of Biden deposition about classified documents
- 2 Lawmakers spar over Biden’s invocation of executive privilege
- 3 Judiciary Committee approves contempt resolution
- 4 Is invoking executive privilege rare?
- 5 Special counsel Robert Hur defended report critical of Biden’s memory
- 6 Two House panels subpoenaed AG Garland for Biden recording
- 7 Comer says recording key to weighing Biden’s fitness for office
Attorney General Garland emphasized the extensive efforts made to fulfill the committees’ valid requests. However, he stated that this particular request would hinder their ability to effectively conduct sensitive investigations in the future.
House GOP seeks recording of Biden deposition about classified documents
Biden’s personal lawyers stumbled upon classified documents at his office in the Penn Biden Center in Washington. This occurred during the period when he transitioned from vice president to president. Biden, demonstrating his commitment to transparency and accountability, willingly permitted the FBI to conduct a search of his home in Wilmington, Delaware. The search yielded additional classified documents, further emphasizing the importance of handling sensitive information appropriately.
White House officials highlighted that Biden willingly returned the documents to the government and cooperated with authorities, in contrast to Trump, who defied a subpoena and refused to do so.
Garland chose Hur to conduct an independent investigation into Biden. In October, the prosecutor interviewed the president regarding the documents from his tenure as a senator and vice president. While Hur ultimately decided not to press charges against Biden, his report described him as a sympathetic and well-meaning elderly man with a poor memory.
Biden strongly refuted any claims questioning his mental capacity, while Edward Siskel, the president’s counsel, denounced Republicans for their alleged political motivations behind their search for the recording.
Lawmakers spar over Biden’s invocation of executive privilege
According to Rep. Jerrold Nadler, the leading Democrat on the committee, the Justice Department has fulfilled most of the congressional requests by providing 92,000 pages of documents for multiple investigations. Nadler believes that a committee vote would only serve to tarnish Garland’s reputation without any substantial purpose.
Judiciary Committee approves contempt resolution
Congress uses a contempt resolution as a means to encourage the Justice Department to consider bringing charges against the target. However, the department often dismisses the recommendation, as seen in the cases of former attorneys general Barr and Holder.
Rep. Jeff Van Drew, R-N.J., emphasized the importance of obtaining the recording of Biden to ascertain the accuracy of Hur’s evaluation regarding Biden’s age and mental state, thereby avoiding any potential charges.
According to Van Drew, if the commander in chief is too incompetent to stand trial, then he is also too incompetent to be the leader of the most powerful nation on earth.
Rep. Hank Johnson, a Democrat from Georgia, expressed his viewpoint on the contempt vote against Garland. According to Johnson, the committee and Hur failed to uncover any grounds for criminally charging President Biden.
According to Johnson, the committee has spent a whopping $20 million with no tangible results to show for it. He claims that they attempted to accuse President Biden of being involved in a classified documents case.
Is invoking executive privilege rare?
According to the nonpartisan Congressional Research Service, executive privilege is a tool used by presidents to maintain the confidentiality of certain information, particularly during congressional investigations. While it is not an uncommon practice, it is typically reserved for specific circumstances. Throughout history, presidents such as George Washington, Barack Obama, and Donald Trump have invoked executive privilege in various investigations. For instance, George Washington used it during an inquiry into a military operation involving Native Americans, Barack Obama asserted it during the investigation of the Operation Fast and Furious scandal, and Donald Trump invoked it during the investigation of the Capitol attack on Jan. 6, 2021.
Special counsel Robert Hur defended report critical of Biden’s memory
During a heated House Judiciary Committee hearing in March, Hur faced intense questioning from lawmakers across party lines. Some accused him of being too lenient for not charging Biden, while others criticized him for publicly questioning the president’s memory.
Two House panels subpoenaed AG Garland for Biden recording
However, when asked to provide the recording, the Justice Department declined, stating that they had already supplied lawmakers with all the necessary information.
Uriarte wrote a letter to the committees, reiterating the Department’s stance on sharing sensitive law enforcement information with Congress. The letter emphasized that doing so could have severe consequences, potentially hindering the Department’s ability to carry out investigations and prosecutions effectively. Uriarte explained that producing such information could undermine efforts to secure cooperation from witnesses and targets involved in these cases.
Comer says recording key to weighing Biden’s fitness for office
Comer scheduled the contempt vote to ensure that Garland is held accountable.
According to Comer, the situation at the White House is highly alarming. He suggests that President Biden and his advisors are hesitant to release the audio recordings of his interview, as it would reinforce the belief that the President’s mental state is deteriorating.
Biden Uses Executive Privilege to Protect Robert Hur Interview Tapes from House
In a move to protect the confidentiality of Robert Hur’s interview tapes, President Biden has invoked executive privilege. This decision comes as the House continues its investigation into the events leading up to the January 6th Capitol attack. By asserting executive privilege, the Biden administration aims to shield the contents of these tapes from being disclosed to the House committee.
Executive privilege is a power that allows the President to withhold certain information from the public or other branches of government to maintain the confidentiality of sensitive conversations or deliberations. It is often used to protect national security or maintain the integrity of the executive branch.
The House committee, which is tasked with uncovering the details surrounding the Capitol attack, had subpoenaed the interview tapes of Robert Hur, a former U.S. attorney who served in the Trump administration. The committee believed that these tapes could provide valuable insights into the events leading up to the attack and shed light on any potential involvement or knowledge within the Trump administration.
However, with the invocation of executive privilege, the Biden administration argues that the contents of these tapes should remain confidential. This move has sparked a debate among lawmakers, with some arguing that the House committee should have access to all relevant information, while others maintain that executive privilege is a necessary tool for the President to protect sensitive conversations.
This is not the first time that executive privilege has been invoked in a political investigation. In the past, both Democratic and Republican administrations have used this power to shield sensitive information from Congress. The decision to assert executive privilege is ultimately up to the President, and it is a delicate balance between the need for transparency and the protection of sensitive information.
As the battle over the January 6th Capitol attack investigation continues, the invocation of executive privilege adds another layer of complexity to the proceedings. It remains to be seen how this legal maneuver will impact the House committee’s ability to gather all the necessary information and reach a comprehensive understanding of the events that unfolded on that fateful day.
