(NewsSpace.com) – US Attorney General Merrick Garland has been the subject of much controversy in Congress. The House has been seeking his cooperation in handing over the audio files of President Joe Biden’s interviews with special counsel Robert Hur. On June 12, the House voted to hold Garland in contempt of Congress, but the DOJ declined to take up the referral. Recently, the lower chamber voted on another measure targeting the AG, and this time, it failed.
On July 10, Representative Anna Paulina Luna (R-FL) forced a vote on an “inherent contempt” resolution. If it passed, Garland would have been fined $10,000 per day for each day he refused to hand over the audio files. The House voted 204–210 against the measure. Four Republicans, Reps. John Duarte (CA), Tom McClintock (CA), David Joyce (OH), and Mike Turner (OH), sided with all House Democrats.
The Department of Justice said it had cooperated with the House by providing written transcripts of the interview where Hur interviewed Biden about the classified documents found in his home and former office at the Penn Biden Center. The special counsel recommended not bringing charges against the president, saying a jury would likely see him as a “well-meaning, elderly man with a poor memory.”
The GOP has been seeking the audio files to confirm the transcript’s accuracy and determine whether or not Hur’s recommendation was justified. Democrats and the White House have said the Republicans want to use the audio files as a political weapon. The DOJ also expressed concern that turning them over would hinder future investigations.
Rep. Jim McGovern (D-MA) contributed during the floor remarks session, saying that the GOP’s request for the audio files is redundant because they’ve already received the transcripts.
Despite the failure, the GOP isn’t stopping its mission. House Republicans recently filed a lawsuit against Garland, seeking access to the tapes.
Copyright 2024, NewsSpace.com
