The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) has refused to give Congress recordings from Democrat President Joe Biden’s interview with Special Counsel Robert Hur regarding his classified documents mishandling.
In a Thursday statement, Biden’s DOJ said it will not produce the subpoenaed audio recordings to House Republicans.
The federal agency insists that its “cooperation” with the congressional investigation has been “extraordinary.”
House Oversight Committee Chair James Comer (R-KY) and House Judiciary Committee Chair Jim Jordan (R-OH) had threatened to hold Attorney General Merrick Garland in contempt of Congress.
The chairmen accuse AG Garland and the DOJ of a repeated failure to produce the audio recordings.
On Thursday, however, the Justice Department argued that it has produced a transcript of Biden’s interview with the special counsel.
In a statement, Assistant Attorney General Carlos Uriarte wrote in response:
“If the Committees’ goal is to receive information from the Department in furtherance of your investigations, that goal has been more than met.
“Our cooperation has been extraordinary.”
“The Committees have not responded in kind,” he continued.
“It seems that the more information you receive, the less satisfied you are, and the less justification you have for contempt, the more you rush towards it.”
Uriarte added:
“Lacking a justification for complaint—never mind contempt—in the actual record, the Committees’ threats deepen our concern that you are seeking to create a false narrative of obstruction that weakens, rather than strengthens, the American people’s confidence in our government and the rule of law.
“The Department will not shirk from our duty to protect the public’s interest in the integrity of law enforcement work.
“We hope you find this information helpful,” he wrote.
“Please do not hesitate to contact this office if we may provide additional assistance regarding this or any other matter.”
Hur, who released his report to the public in February after months of investigation.
It did not recommend criminal charges against Biden for mishandling and retaining classified documents.
However, the special counsel stated that he would not bring charges against Biden even if he were not in the Oval Office.
Hur, in his report, explained that a jury wouldn’t convict Biden because of his obvious age- and mental health-related issues.
He described Biden as a “sympathetic, well-meaning elderly man with a poor memory” and noted it is what the jury would see.
nevertheless, this description has raised significant concerns for Biden’s 2024 re-election campaign.
Those records included classified documents about military and foreign policy in Afghanistan and other countries, among other records related to national security and foreign policy.
Hur said the files implicated “sensitive intelligence sources and methods.”
https://slaynews.com/news/doj-refuses-give-congress-bidens-recorded-interview-special-counsel-hur/
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