House Votes (216 to 207) to Hold Biden’s AG Garland in Contempt of Congress (June 12, 2024)

RE: BIDEN’S MISHANDLING OF CLASSIFIED DOCUMENTS Yesterday, the House voted (216 to 207) to hold Biden’s Attorney General Merrick Garland in contempt of Congress, referring him for criminal charges. Rep. Jim Jordan explains why Congress needs the audio tapes of Special Counsel Robert Hur’s investigation of Joe Biden’s willful mishandling of classified information. Republican Rep. David Joyce (R-OH) voting against the measure. Reports – House Holds Attorney General Merrick Garland in Contempt of Congress: The House Committees on Oversight and Accountability and Judiciary issued subpoenas to Garland on February 27, 2024, for records related to Special Counsel Robert Hur’s investigation of President Joe Biden’s willful mishandling of classified information. Most importantly, Republicans wanted the audio tapes of Hur’s interview with Biden. Garland had only provided written transcripts, which Republicans said were insufficient after Hur revealed that Biden experienced mental lapses and “poor memory” during his interview. – About Hur’s investigation: Hur concluded that no criminal charges were warranted in Biden’s handling of classified documents, but also said the 81-year-old president presented himself “as a sympathetic, well-meaning, elderly man with a poor memory,” and that “it would be difficult to convince a jury that they should convict him — by then a former president well into his eighties — of a serious felony that requires a mental state of willfulness.” .. The pursuit of Hur’s audio tapes is part of the House GOP’s wider impeachment inquiry into President Biden, investigating allegations he used his political position to enrich himself and his family. Biden has denied accusations of wrongdoing. – Trump’s aides sent to jail for contempt of Congress: Meanwhile, two ex-Trump administration aides — former Trump trade adviser Peter Navarro [who is in a Miami jail right now] and former White House chief strategist Steve Bannon [who should report to prison by July 1]— were convicted on contempt of Congress charges for dodging subpoenas by the House select committee on Jan. 6. Mollie Hemingway from the Federalist responds to Garland’s comments: Merrick Garland, who is hiding his boss’s audiotaped interview regarding mishandling classified documents, tells Congress he’s above the law. https://t.co/4HWWnvbud9 — Mollie (@MZHemingway) June 12, 2024 .

. What Democrats & Anti-Trumpers have said about those defying Congressional subpoenas Videos: Here are three minutes of Democrats, Never-Trump Republicans and the media assuring us that defying a congressional subpoena means that you belong in jail and that no one is above the law. BONUS CONTENT — Jamie Raskin: The lesson is, please tell your children out there in America, if you get a subpoena to go before Congress, go! pic.twitter.com/NtKGkxPwWs — Western Lensman (@WesternLensman) June 12, 2024 BONUS BONUS CONTENT — Joe Biden when asked if he believes that people who defy congressional subpoenas should be prosecuted: “I do, yes.” pic.twitter.com/YE0Xs18IhH — Western Lensman (@WesternLensman) June 12, 2024 .

. Rep. Jim Jordan: Why Congress needs the audio tapes of Robert Hur’s interview of President Biden: Why Congress needs the audio tapes of Robert Hur’s interview of President Biden: 1. The audio recording is the best evidence of what was said during the interview. Transcripts do not and cannot capture emphasis, inflection, intonation, nuance, pace, pauses, pitch, rhythm, tone, and other cues and idiosyncrasies that convey meaning. 2. We cannot completely assess Special Counsel Hur’s recommendations and conclusions unless we have access to the audio recordings of the interview. In particular, review of the audio recordings is necessary to evaluate Special Counsel Hur’s conclusion not to recommend charges against President Biden in part because he presents “as a sympathetic, well-meaning, elderly man with a poor memory.” 3. Special Counsel Hur himself admitted that he based his decision on more than what’s in the cold transcript of his interview with the President. He told the Judiciary Committee that he “did take into account not just the words from the cold record of the transcript, but the entire manner in living color, in real-time, of how the President presented himself.” 4. President Biden himself has disputed the validity of Hur’s findings. He’s done so publicly—and after deciding not to assert privilege over the report itself or even the interview transcripts. The president has put the findings into dispute, and the Committee is reviewing those same findings. This factual dispute only adds to the Committee’s need to hear the audio recordings itself. 5. The House’s oversight of the activities of special counsels and independent counsels is not new. Congress has legislated on the use of independent counsels numerous times and has considered other legislative changes to special counsels in recent years. 6. DOJ’s claims that law enforcement interests are at risk are especially weak here because the investigation is closed. 7. It is up to Congress, not the Executive Branch, to determine what materials it needs to conduct its own investigations. 8. Any claim of executive privilege was waived when the Executive Branch released the transcript of the interview to the press. Why Congress needs the audio tapes of Robert Hur's interview of President Biden: 1. The audio recording is the best evidence of what was said during the interview.  Transcripts do not and cannot capture emphasis, inflection, intonation, nuance, pace, pauses, pitch, rhythm, tone,… — Rep. Jim Jordan (@Jim_Jordan) June 12, 2024 .

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