House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jim Jordan has had enough of U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland’s refusal to cooperate with the GOP-led Congress on a serious matter involving President Joe Biden, so he’s decided to take action.
The committee is preparing to initiate contempt of Congress proceedings against Garland due to a dispute over access to recordings from special counsel Robert Hur’s investigation into Biden’s handling of classified documents. Amidst an apparent stalemate in negotiations between House Republicans and the Department of Justice (DOJ) regarding access to the audio files, a source confirmed to The Daily Wire that a markup is scheduled for May 16, which falls on Thursday of the following week.
A few weeks ago, House Oversight Chairman James Comer (R-KY) and Jordan (R-OH) sent a letter to Garland. The letter indicated that they were giving him an extra 10 days to fully comply with their February subpoenas. If he fails to comply, he could then face contempt of Congress proceedings. “Your response to the subpoenas remains inadequate, suggesting that you are withholding records for partisan purposes and to avoid political embarrassment for President Biden,” the pair wrote, according to a copy of the April 15 letter obtained by The Daily Caller.
The lawmakers cautioned that they would be left with “no choice but to invoke contempt of Congress proceedings” unless they were provided with the audio recordings of Hur’s interview with Biden and the special counsel’s interview with Biden’s ghostwriter, Mark Zwonitzer. “To avoid this, the Committees expect you to produce all responsive materials no later than 12:00 p.m. on April 25, 2024,” Comer and Jordan noted further.
Previously, both chairmen had set a deadline of April 8 along with a warning that their committees would “consider taking further action, such as the invocation of contempt of Congress proceedings” without full compliance.
The two chairmen had previously set an April 8 deadline, warning their committees would “consider taking further action, such as the invocation of contempt of Congress proceedings” without full compliance. Assistant Attorney General Carlos Uriarte sent a letter to the lawmakers on April 8, stating that the transcript of the two-day interview with Biden already provided to them should be adequate. Additionally, a transcript of Hur’s interview with Zwonitzer was also provided.
The DOJ is “concerned” about the lawmakers’ demands “that is cumulative of information we already gave you” and they indicate lawmakers want it for “political purposes” rather than “legitimate oversight or investigatory functions,” Uriarte said. Hur’s report, released in February, criticized Biden’s retention of classified records while out of office. However, the prosecutor opted not to recommend charges due to Biden’s age and forgetfulness, which he said would not likely convince a jury to convict and sentence him.
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