{"id":2215766,"date":"2024-04-08T16:23:02","date_gmt":"2024-04-08T20:23:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/garland-risks-contempt-of-congress-as-doj-spurns-house-gop-demand-for-biden-audio\/"},"modified":"2024-04-08T16:26:18","modified_gmt":"2024-04-08T20:26:18","slug":"garland-risks-contempt-of-congress-as-doj-spurns-house-gop-demand-for-biden-audio","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/garland-risks-contempt-of-congress-as-doj-spurns-house-gop-demand-for-biden-audio\/","title":{"rendered":"Garland faces potential contempt of Congress as DOJ rejects House GOP&#8217;s request for Biden audio"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"&quot;\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">30<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Fgarland-risks-contempt-of-congress-as-doj-spurns-house-gop-demand-for-biden-audio%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2215766&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><p>The Department of Justice \u2063has refused House Republicans&#8217; request\u2063 for <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/breaking-gaetz-names-ex-doj-official-he-claims-tried-to-extort-millions-promised-biden-pardon\/\" title=\"BREAKING: Gaetz Names Ex-DOJ Official He Claims Tried To Extort Millions, Promised Biden Pardon\">audio recordings<\/a> of special counsel Robert Hur&#8217;s interviews with President Joe Biden for a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/fbi-conducts-search-of-mike-pences-indiana-home-in-classified-documents-investigation\/\" title=\"FBI Conducts Search of Mike Pence's Indiana Home in Classified Documents Investigation\">classified documents investigation<\/a>, potentially leading to contempt of Congress for\u200d Attorney General Merrick Garland. Assistant Attorney \u2063General Carlos Uriarte defended this decision in a letter\u200b to Congressional leaders Comer and Jordan, citing the already provided\u2062 transcripts as sufficient.  <\/p>\n<p class=\"readmore\">\n    <button onclick=\"showReadMore()\" id=\"readmorebtn\">Read more&#8230;<\/button>\n<\/p>\n<hr id=\"line\">\n<span id=\"more\"><\/p>\n<p>The Department of Justice (DOJ) has chosen to rebuff <a href=\"https:\/\/www.dailywire.com\/topic\/house-republicans\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">House Republicans<\/a> seeking audio of special counsel Robert Hur\u2019s interviews with President <a href=\"https:\/\/www.dailywire.com\/topic\/joe-biden\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Joe Biden<\/a> for a classified documents investigation despite a threat to hold Attorney General <a href=\"https:\/\/www.dailywire.com\/topic\/merrick-garland\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Merrick Garland<\/a> in contempt of Congress for defying their subpoenas.<\/p>\n<p>Assistant Attorney General Carlos Uriarte wrote in a <a href=\"https:\/\/punchbowl.news\/2024-04-08-out-jordan-comer-re-sco-hur\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">letter<\/a> sent to House Oversight Chairman <a href=\"https:\/\/www.dailywire.com\/topic\/james-comer\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">James Comer<\/a> (R-KY) and Judiciary Chairman <a href=\"https:\/\/www.dailywire.com\/topic\/jim-jordan\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Jim Jordan<\/a> (R-OH) on Monday \u2014 which was the deadline the congressional leaders set for the materials \u2014 that a transcript for the two-day interview that was already provided to them should be sufficient.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe Department is concerned that the Committees\u2019 particular focus on continuing to demand information that is cumulative of information we already gave you \u2014 what the President and Mr. Hur\u2019s team said in the interview \u2014 indicates that the Committees\u2019 interests may not be in receiving information in service of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/biden-admin-blocks-bipartisan-lawmakers-from-accessing-afghan-evacuee-holding-site\/\" title=\"Biden Admin Blocks Bipartisan Lawmakers From Accessing Afghan Evacuee Holding Site\">legitimate oversight<\/a> or investigatory functions, but to serve political purposes that should have no role in the treatment of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/doj-refuses-to-turn-over-audio-of-robert-hur-interview-with-biden-to-house-gop\/\" title=\"The Department of Justice declines to provide House GOP with Robert Hur's interview audio with Biden\">law enforcement files<\/a>,\u201d Uriarte said.<\/p>\n<p>Comer and Jordan <a href=\"https:\/\/judiciary.house.gov\/sites\/evo-subsites\/republicans-judiciary.house.gov\/files\/evo-media-document\/2024-03-25%20JDJ%20JC%20to%20DOJ%20re%20Hur%20subpoena%20and%20contempt.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">wrote<\/a> to Garland two weeks ago, saying they received redacted transcripts of Hur\u2019s interview with Biden on March 12, just hours before the special counsel testified before the House. The chairmen again demanded audio recordings of Hur\u2019s interview with Biden, which they had stressed as a priority, and audio recordings of the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/roger-stone-announces-he-will-sue-those-who-arrested-him-and-put-him-in-front-of-a-kangaroo-court\/\" title=\"Roger Stone Announces He Will Sue Those Who Arrested Him and Put Him In Front of a Kangaroo Court\">special counsel\u2019<\/a>s interview with Biden\u2019s ghostwriter, Mark Zwonitzer, in compliance with subpoenas from February.<\/p>\n<p>If Garland failed to provide the materials by April 8, the committees \u201cwill consider taking further action, such as the invocation of contempt of Congress proceedings,\u201d they warned.<\/p>\n<p>The committees have \u201calready received the extraordinary accommodation of the transcripts, which gives you the information you say you need,\u201d Uriarte claimed. \u201cTo go further by producing the audio files would compound the likelihood that future prosecutors will be unable to secure this level of cooperation. They might have a harder time obtaining consent to an interview at all. It is clearly not in the public interest to render such cooperation with prosecutors and investigators less likely in the future.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Uriarte said his letter \u201csupplements\u201d previous responses to the panels and noted a transcript of Hur\u2019s interview with Zwonitzer was enclosed as \u201cfurther accommodation.\u201d He argued that the information provided \u201cdoes appear\u201d to resolve the concerns raised by Comer and Jordan related to legislative oversight of the DOJ and the impeachment inquiry against Biden.<\/p>\n<p>It was not immediately clear how Comer and Jordan would respond to the DOJ\u2019s response in the clash over materials from Hur\u2019s investigation into Biden\u2019s handling of classified records. Seeming to anticipate an escalation, Uriarte pleaded how it is \u201cnot too late for the Committees to choose a different path, to take on offramp towards the \u2018spirit of dynamic compromise\u2019 that the Constitution requires of us both.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Hur\u2019s report, which was released in February, criticized Biden\u2019s retention of classified records while out of office, yet the prosecutor declined to recommend charges. The report described Biden as a \u201csympathetic, well-meaning, elderly man with a poor memory\u201d whom a jury likely would not convict \u201cof a serious felony that requires a mental state of willfulness.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><b><a href=\"https:\/\/onelink.to\/dwapp\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" aria-describedby=\"sk-tooltip-9096\" data-saferedirecturl=\"https:\/\/www.google.com\/url?q=https:\/\/onelink.to\/dwapp&#038;source=gmail&#038;ust=1700760801843000&#038;usg=AOvVaw2PQrVSrJfhxNb4LcARqniG\">CLICK HERE TO GET THE DAILYWIRE+ APP<\/a><\/b><\/p>\n<p>The special counsel also found that Zwonitzer deleted recordings of conversations he had with Biden upon learning about the documents inquiry, but the ghostwriter provided \u201cplausible, innocent reasons\u201d for his actions and other materials. Ultimately, Hur said he determined the evidence would not suffice for a conviction on obstruction of justice.<\/p>\n<p>Biden and the White House have pushed back against Hur\u2019s characterizations in his report, but Garland insisted that it would have been <a href=\"https:\/\/www.dailywire.com\/news\/garland-says-censoring-hurs-biden-docs-report-would-have-been-absurd\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">\u201cabsurd\u201d<\/a> for someone in his position to have edited or censored the special counsel\u2019s explanation.<\/p>\n<p><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Despite facing potential contempt of Congress, Attorney General Merrick Garland remains resolute as the Department of Justice declines the House Republicans&#8217; request for President Joe Biden&#8217;s interview audio in a classified documents probe led by special counsel Robert Hur. Assistant Attorney General Carlos Uriarte conveyed this stance in a letter dispatched<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1588,"featured_media":2215767,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/dw-wp-production.imgix.net\/2024\/04\/GettyImages-1231323704-scaled-e1712599516769.jpg","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[541],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2215766","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-the-daily-wire"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/dw-wp-production.imgix.net\/2024\/04\/GettyImages-1231323704-scaled-e1712599516769.jpg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2215766","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1588"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2215766"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2215766\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2215767"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2215766"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2215766"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2215766"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}