by Madeleine Hubbard and Steven Richards
President Joe Biden said Thursday that a recording of his interview with special counsel Robert Hur about his keeping of classified documents should not be released on grounds of executive privilege, hours before House Republicans are scheduled to move to censure Attorney General Merrick Garland for contempt of Congress for not releasing the recordings.
The Justice Department’s Office of Legal Counsel said the recording should be considered protected by executive privilege and Garland should not be penalized for failing to make it public, said Assistant Attorney General Carlos Uriatre.
“I am writing to inform you that the President has asserted executive privilege over the requested audio recordings and is affording protection over any remaining materials in response to the subpoenas that have not yet been produced,” Uriatre wrote in Thursday’s letter, according to Do CNN.
“Administrations of both parties have long held the position that an official who maintains that the president is claiming executive privilege cannot be held in contempt of Congress,” he also wrote, according to the statement Related press.
“Given the President’s long-standing commitment to protecting the integrity, effectiveness and independence of the Department of Justice and law enforcement investigations, he has chosen to ensure the confidentiality of executive recordings,” presidential adviser Edward Siskel wrote in a letter to the Committee on Oversight and the Judiciary on Thursday. According to the letter obtained by Siskel, providing the tapes could “harm future law enforcement investigations.” Only News.
The investigation into the secret documents did not lead to any charges against the president, including: Hur report summary that a jury would likely find him to be a “likable, well-meaning older man with a poor memory.”
House Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer said Biden’s claim of executive privilege would not change his committee’s efforts to hold Garland in contempt.
“This is a five-alarm fire at the White House. It is clear that President Biden and his advisors are concerned about releasing the audio recordings of his interview because it will once again confirm to the American people that President Biden’s mental health is deteriorating. The House Oversight Committee needs these recordings as part of its investigation into President Biden’s mishandling of classified documents,” Comer said in statement sent to X.
“The White House claims executive privilege over the recordings, but it has already waived that privilege by releasing the transcript of the interview. Today’s Hail Mary from the White House changes nothing for our committee. The House Oversight Committee will continue to work to adopt a resolution and report recommending to the House of Representatives that Attorney General Garland be held in contempt of Congress for defying a lawful subpoena,” he added.
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Madeleine Hubbard joined Just the News as a Fast File reporter after working as an editor at Breitbart News. Steven Richards joined Just the News in August 2023 after previously working as a research analyst at the Government Accountability Institute (GAI) in Tallahassee, Florida. He is a two-time graduate of Florida State University, earning a master’s degree in political science and a bachelor’s degree in international affairs.
