House Republicans fail to hold AG Garland in contempt over Biden interview tapes

Jul 11

Lauren Taylor Reporter

By Lauren Taylor (Reporter), Emma Stoltzfus (Video Editor)

House Republicans failed Thursday, July 11, to hold Attorney General Merrick Garland in inherent contempt of Congress for not turning over audio tapes of special counsel Robert Hur’s interview with President Joe Biden. Rep. Anna Paulina Luna, R-Fla., brought the resolution in June after representatives voted to hold Garland in criminal contempt of Congress for defying a congressional subpoena. However, the Department of Justice declined to prosecute.

Bias Distribution Powered by Ground News™

Hur interviewed Biden about his handling of classified documents, and congressional Republicans want access to those recordings as part of an impeachment inquiry. In May, Biden asserted executive privilege over the tapes.

Download the SAN app today to stay up-to-date with Unbiased. Straight Facts™.

Point phone camera here

The resolution would have fined Garland $10,000 a day until he handed over the audiotapes.

According to Luna’s resolution, Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., would have been tasked with imposing the fine. However, it is unclear how he would have enforced it.

On X, Luna blamed the failure on Republican absences and vowed to bring up the resolution again.

“Attorney General Merrick Garland will pay and be held accountable for trying to undermine our institutions,” Luna wrote. “No one is above the law.”

Congress voted 210-204 on the resolution. Twelve Republicans were absent and another four voted against the measure.

House Democrats have argued that Hur’s congressional testimony, along with written transcripts of Hur’s interview with Biden, should be sufficient for their investigation.

Tags: Anna Paulina Luna, House Republicans, Merrick Garland, U.S. Congress, U.S. Department of Justice

[LAUREN TAYLOR]

HOUSE REPUBLICANS FAILED THURSDAY TO HOLD ATTORNEY GENERAL MERRICK GARLAND IN INHERENT CONTEMPT OF CONGRESS – FOR NOT TURNING OVER AUDIO TAPES OF SPECIAL COUNSEL ROBERT HUR’S INTERVIEW WITH PRESIDENT JOE BIDEN.

REPRESENTATIVE ANNA PAULINA LUNA BROUGHT THE RESOLUTION LAST MONTH – AFTER GARLAND WAS HELD IN CRIMINAL CONTEMPT OF CONGRESS – FOR DEFYING A CONGRESSIONAL SUBPOENA – HOWEVER THE DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE DECLINED TO PROSECUTE.

SPECIAL COUNSEL HUR INTERVIEWED PRESIDENT BIDEN ABOUT HIS HANDLING OF CLASSIFIED DOCUMENTS AND CONGRESSIONAL REPUBLICANS WANT ACCESS TO THOSE RECORDINGS AS PART OF AN IMPEACHMENT INQUIRY.

IN MAY, PRESIDENT BIDEN ASSERTED EXECUTIVE PRIVILEGE OVER THE TAPES.

THE RESOLUTION WOULD’VE FINED GARLAND $10-THOUSAND DOLLARS A DAY UNTIL HE HANDED OVER THE AUDIOTAPES.

AND ACCORDING TO LUNA’S RESOLUTION, SPEAKER JOHNSON WOULD’VE BEEN TASKED WITH IMPOSING THE FINE, THOUGH ITS UNCLEAR HOW HE WOULD’VE ENFORCED IT.

ON X, LUNA BLAMED THE FAILURE ON REPUBLICAN ABSENCES AND VOWED TO BRING UP THE RESOLUTION AGAIN, WRITING: “Attorney General Merrick Garland will pay and be held accountable for trying to undermine our institutions. No one is above the law.”

THE VOTE WAS 210 TO 204.

12 REPUBLICANS WERE ABSENT AND ANOTHER FOUR VOTED AGAINST THE MEASURE.

HOUSE DEMOCRATS HAVE ARGUED THAT HUR’S CONGRESSIONAL TESTIMONY, ALONG WITH WRITTEN TRANSCRIPTS OF HUR’S INTERVIEW WITH BIDEN SHOULD BE SUFFICIENT FOR THEIR INVESTIGATION.

FOR STRAIGHT ARROW NEWS, I’M LAUREN TAYLOR…

FOR MORE UNBIASED, STRAIGHT FACTS, DOWNLOAD THE SAN APP.