On Wednesday, the GOP-led House of Representatives voted to pass a rule for the resolution holding Attorney General Merrick Garland in contempt of Congress after the Biden official refused to hand over the interview tapes of special counsel Robert Hur's sit down with President Joe Biden in his investigation into the president's mishandling of classified documents.
The contempt resolution rule, which passed 208 to 207 along party lines, is in response to the White House's use of executive privilege to prevent the audio recordings from being released to the public. Congressional Democrats argued on the House floor that releasing the interview recording was unnecessary, given that the transcript of Hur's interview had been released.
As previously reported by the DC Enquirer, Chairman James Comer (R-KY) and Chairman Jim Jordan (R-OH) moved to hold Garland in contempt after refusing to give the tapes to the GOP-led committees.
In a letter to the two House Republicans, Assistant Attorney General for Legislative Affairs Carlos F. Uriarte emphasized that the assertion of executive privilege traditionally leads to contempt of Congress not being prosecuted. "While our cooperation with Congress has been extraordinary, we also have a responsibility to safeguard the confidentiality of law enforcement files where disclosure would jeopardize future investigations," he said. "The Attorney General must draw a line that safeguards the Department from improper political influence and protects our principles, our law enforcement work, and the people who carry out that work independently."
"It is the longstanding position of the executive branch held by administrations of both parties that an official who asserts the president's claim of executive privilege cannot be prosecuted for criminal contempt of Congress," Uriarte added. Despite the White House's best attempts to save Garland from a contempt resolution, House Republicans are pushing ahead to ensure the Biden official was held responsible for defying Congress. Another vote will likely take place on Wednesday evening to pass the contempt resolution.
This is a developing story and will be updated accordingly.
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