House of Representatives Schedules Contempt Vote for Attorney General Garland

The U.S. House of Representatives was scheduled to vote on Wednesday regarding the potential contempt charges against Attorney General Merrick Garland for his refusal to release audio recordings of a special counsel interview with President Joe Biden.

The Department of Justice has provided a transcript of the interview, which caused controversy when Special Counsel Robert Hur described Biden, 81, as a “well-meaning, elderly man with a poor memory.” Despite this, the DOJ has claimed executive privilege over the recordings.

If the House votes to hold Garland in contempt, it would force the Justice Department to decide whether to prosecute their own leader, although they are not obligated to do so. The vote outcome is uncertain as Democrats are expected to vote against the charge, leaving House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., to gather enough Republican support.

A procedural vote narrowly passed by 208-207, indicating that some lawmakers may support opening debate without necessarily committing to vote for the bill.

“Transcripts alone may not provide sufficient evidence of the president’s memory,” stated House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, during the debate.

On the other hand, New York Representative Jerry Nadler accused Republicans of pursuing baseless conspiracy theories in hopes of finding evidence of wrongdoing.

Following an investigation into Biden’s mishandling of classified documents, Special Counsel Hur decided not to prosecute him, citing cooperation and potential sympathy from a jury. In contrast, former President Donald Trump faced criminal charges for similar offenses after his presidency.

Democrats have raised concerns that Republicans want the audio recordings for campaign purposes. Garland has repeatedly defended the Justice Department’s integrity against attacks from House Republicans.

Trump, who was convicted for falsifying business records, is currently involved in multiple criminal cases related to mishandling classified documents.