Republicans in the US House of Representatives voted to hold Attorney General Merrick Garland in contempt of Congress for refusing to provide audio recordings of President Joe Biden’s interview with federal investigators regarding his classified documents case.
The vote, which passed 216-207, saw all Republicans except Representative David Joyce, who joined Democrats, supporting the measure.
House Speaker Mike Johnson stated that it is Congress’s role, not the Executive Branch’s, to decide what materials are necessary for investigations, emphasizing the need for the audio tapes to verify the accuracy of the written transcripts. He criticized the White House for potentially editing the President’s statements.
Garland condemned the vote as a partisan maneuver that disregards the constitutional separation of powers and the Justice Department’s need to protect its investigations.
He defended the substantial information already provided to the Committees and affirmed his commitment to protecting the Department and its mission.
The White House invoked executive privilege over the recording, which complicates any potential criminal prosecution over the matter. Republicans argued that Garland waived this privilege by releasing transcripts of Biden’s interview with special counsel Robert Hur.
White House Counsel Edward Siskel defended the decision, asserting that the provided transcripts and documents met the Committees’ needs and accusing Republicans of seeking to manipulate the materials for political gain.
Earlier this year, the classified documents case concluded without criminal charges against Biden for retaining classified documents after his tenure in the Obama administration.
The contempt vote stems from ongoing tensions between the legislative and executive branches over access to sensitive information.
Congress often issues subpoenas to obtain documents or testimonies for its investigations, but the executive branch can resist such requests by claiming executive privilege, which protects certain communications within the executive branch.
This standoff highlights the complex balance of power between these branches of government and the potential for partisan conflicts.
The case involving President Biden’s classified documents further underscores the challenges in managing and accessing classified information after officials leave office.
