Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) has made an announcement stating that the House Judiciary Committee intends to initiate legal proceedings concerning the audio recordings involving President Joe Biden and special counsel Robert Hur.
According to The Hill, this lawsuit aims to compel Attorney General Merrick Garland to hand over the recordings. This legal action represents the most recent attempt to obtain the tapes, following the Justice Department’s refusal to charge Garland despite the House voting to hold him in contempt.
“We are going to file suit next week against the Department of Justice to enforce that subpoena. We will go to district court here in D.C., which is the appropriate venue, and we will fight vigorously to get it,” Johnson said Wednesday.
Lawmakers possess a transcript of the conversation between Biden and Hur, however, Republicans are eager to listen to the tapes. Republicans argue that the tapes will offer additional insights into Hur’s remarks regarding Biden’s memory.
Representative Anna Paulina Luna (R-Fla.) has made a commitment to push for a vote on a resolution that would grant the House sergeant-at-arms the authority to detain Garland. Johnson did not express a definite stance on Luna’s proposal and mentioned that her plan is one of several alternatives under consideration.
He added, “but I don’t think anything’s been settled on as of yet.”
Luna proposed the use of inherent contempt, a measure that has not been utilized for almost a century. House regulations do not provide clear instructions on how the detention of the attorney general would be carried out, particularly considering Garland’s FBI protection. Luna justified the action as essential for enforcing the subpoena.
“This process demonstrates the seriousness with which Congress views non-compliance and the potential consequences for those who refuse to cooperate,” she wrote in a letter.
The Justice Department declared that it will not press charges against Garland, citing Biden’s executive privilege over the tapes. It was mentioned that administrations from both political parties have historically refrained from prosecuting individuals who refuse to comply with subpoenas under the protection of executive privilege. Garland criticized Republicans for weaponizing contempt for partisan gain.
