The Department of Justice (DOJ) on Monday turned over transcripts of an interview with President Biden’s ghostwriter Mark Zwonitzer, to whom the president gave classified documents, but refused to release audio of the Biden interview with former special adviser Robert Hur.
As the DOJ turned over transcripts of Hur’s interviews with Biden that led it to conclude the president is ‘old’ and ‘well-meaning’ but has a ‘poor memory,’ Republicans aren’t satisfied . They insist they also need audio of the interview.
They subpoenaed transcripts, notes, audio and video files largely related to Hur’s interview – giving Attorney General Merrick Garland until noon Monday and threatening him with contempt if he doesn’t did not comply with it.
The DOJ said in a new letter to GOP committee chairmen that the department has already been “extraordinarily” accommodating in waiving the Biden transcript.
Republicans threatened Monday to hold Attorney General Merrick Garland in contempt of Congress if he does not turn over more documents as part of the Robert Hur investigation into President Biden’s classified documents.
They said releasing the audio could also make it harder for prosecutors to obtain recorded interviews in the future, with witnesses knowing they could be released to the public.
“The Commissions have already received the extraordinary accommodation of the transcripts, which give you the information you say you need,” read the letter, written by Deputy Attorney General Carlos Uriarte.
“Going further by producing audio files would increase the likelihood that future prosecutors will not be able to obtain this level of cooperation.” They may have more difficulty obtaining consent for an interview. It is clearly not in the public interest to make such cooperation with prosecutors and investigators less likely in the future.
The letter states that the Oversight and Judiciary committees have not identified any valid reason for needing the audio of the interview in addition to the transcripts.
He said the DOJ had “met or exceeded the committees’ information needs” set forth in the subpoenas.
“Our cooperative efforts demonstrate that we are and continue to be willing to do our part to show the American people that the public servants who serve them can work together productively in the public interest while avoiding unnecessary conflict,” he said. continued Uriarte.
Oversight Chairman James Comer responded in a statement: “The Biden administration cannot determine what Congress needs and what it does not need for its oversight of the executive branch. »
“It is curious that the Biden administration refuses to release the audio of President Biden’s interview with the special advisor after releasing the transcript. Why shouldn’t the American people be able to hear the audio of his responses? The American people demand transparency, not obstruction, from their leaders.
Hur said he discovered that Biden had “voluntarily” kept classified documents, but did not press charges, believing that a jury would not convict the president.
“Yet the committees responded with escalation and threats of criminal contempt. The committees’ reaction is difficult to explain in terms of lack of information or frustration with any information or investigative imperative, given the actual conduct of the ministry. We are therefore concerned that the Committees are disappointed not because you have not received information, but because you have received it. We urge committees to avoid conflict rather than seek it.
Hur, who interviewed Biden on October 8-9, 2023, resigned as special counsel and left the DOJ shortly before testifying to Congress last month.
Hur said he found that Biden “willingly” kept classified documents, but did not press charges, believing a jury would not convict the president.
He drew opposition from all sides: from Republicans who questioned why he wouldn’t file charges against the president and from Democrats who took issue with his description of Biden as an “older, friendly, well-meaning man with a bad memory “.
He explained his decision to make this assessment during the hearing: “I knew it so that my position would be credible. I couldn’t just announce that there would be no fees, I had to explain why. I needed to show my work.
“We have identified evidence that the president deliberately retained classified documents after the end of his vice presidency, while he was a private citizen,” Hur said during a high-stakes hearing earlier this month .
In interviews with investigators, Biden became confused about the dates he was vice president and couldn’t even remember the year his son Beau died, according to the transcript reviewed by DailyMail.com.
The circled box in the foreground contained documents on Afghanistan. The photo was taken in December 2022 in Biden’s garage, along with other household items
Special counsel Robert Hur spent a year investigating files found in President Joe Biden’s home and former office. He said Biden’s status as president meant he could not be prosecuted.
Biden forgot the year Beau died, when Trump was elected and said “I don’t remember”, “I don’t remember” and “I have no fucking idea” over 100 times while making jokes and making car noises with the investigators. .
And he said his cavalier attitude toward classified documents, like his habit of reading sensitive files to a ghostwriter, posed a significant risk to national security.
One of the reasons they decided not to press charges was that “at trial, Mr. Biden would likely present himself to the jury, as he did during our interview, as an elderly, friendly, well-mannered man.” intentional, with a bad memory.” .’
Hur said during his testimony that he described Biden that way because of his “inability to remember certain things” and that his lawyers had to ask him to remember certain dates.
According to transcripts of Hur’s interviews with Biden on October 8 and 9, 2023, Biden’s lawyer had to tell him what year his son Beau died of brain cancer and the president joked that the prosecutor special had found photos of his wife Jill in a swimsuit.
I just hope you didn’t find any racy photos of my wife in a swimsuit. Which you probably did. She’s beautiful,” Biden said.
“What month did Beau die?” » Biden reflected at one point, adding, “Oh my God, May 30th.”
“He did not remember, even after several years, the death of his son Beau. And his memory appeared fuzzy when he described the Afghanistan debate that was once so important to him,” Hur said.
A White House lawyer then spoke about the year 2015.
“Did he die in 2015?” » asked Biden.
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