White House Denies GOP Bid to Release Biden Interview Audio
The White House has invoked executive privilege to withhold audio recordings of President Joe Biden's interview with Special Counsel Robert Hur from House Republicans. The recordings are sought in connection with a Republican-led effort to hold Attorney General Merrick Garland in contempt of Congress. The Justice Department has informed Congress that the audio is protected under this privilege, which is intended to keep certain executive branch communications confidential.
This development occurs as the House Oversight and Accountability Committee and the Judiciary Committee are preparing to hold hearings. They aim to recommend that the full House of Representatives refer Garland to the Justice Department for contempt charges, stemming from his refusal to provide the audio recordings. These actions come despite the Justice Department's provision of a transcript of the interview to congressional committees. The transcript reveals that while President Biden demonstrated a strong overall recollection during the interview, he had difficulty remembering specific dates and occasionally mixed up details.
The assertion of executive privilege comes at a politically sensitive time, as the White House has acknowledged that the release of the recordings could be perceived negatively in an election year. Meanwhile, the Department of Justice has been described as 'extraordinarily' accommodating for releasing the transcript and Assistant Attorney General Carlos Felipe Uriarte has cautioned against the contempt proceedings to avoid unnecessary conflict. White House Counsel Ed Siskel has also suggested that the lawmakers' pursuit of the audio might serve partisan objectives.
