Department of Justice Rejects Republic Party’s Second Request for Biden-Ukraine Audio

The Justice Department (DOJ) has declined a request from Republican lawmakers for audio recordings of President Joe Biden’s interview with special counsel Robert Hur, escalating a standoff over access to critical materials in the GOP’s impeachment investigation of President Biden, as reported by The Hill here.

In a letter sent on Thursday, the DOJ refused to provide the recordings, expressing concerns about potential misuse and the lack of a legitimate legislative or impeachment purpose for their release.

This decision could lead to contempt proceedings against Attorney General Merrick Garland, which House Judiciary Committee Chair Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, has suggested in the past.

Carlos Uriarte, head of legislative affairs for the DOJ, criticized the demands, stating, “Our cooperation has been exceptional. The committees have not reciprocated.” He cast doubt on the motives behind the requests, suggesting they may have political motivations.

The disagreement revolves around the House Judiciary Committee’s and House Oversight and Accountability Committee’s quest for access to recordings of Biden’s interview with Hur, which focused on the handling of classified documents during Biden’s time as vice president. While the committees already have a transcript of the interview, Republicans argue that the recordings offer unique insights into Biden’s demeanor and communication style.

The DOJ argues that releasing the recordings could impede law enforcement efforts and discourage future witness cooperation.

Republican lawmakers have condemned the DOJ’s refusal to comply with their demands, accusing the agency of obstructing the process and asserting that the recordings are crucial for a comprehensive impeachment inquiry. They claim that the recordings provide vital context and nuances that cannot be captured in written transcripts alone.

“Your response to the subpoenas is inadequate, implying that you are withholding records for partisan reasons and to prevent political embarrassment for President Biden,” they stated.

They highlighted that audio recordings offer a greater insight: “a unique and invaluable medium of information that capture vocal tone, pace, inflections, verbal nuance, and other idiosyncrasies.”

“A transcription cannot capture these revealing verbal clues,” they added.

This latest clash follows a prior rejection by the DOJ of a similar request for audio recordings of Biden’s interview with Hur. In that instance, the department accused the committees of escalating the conflict without a clear “investigative purpose,” as per a letter obtained by CBS News in early April.

According to Hur’s report, Biden would be portrayed in legal proceedings as a “sympathetic, well-intentioned elderly man with a faulty memory,” a characterization quickly seized upon by Republicans, Politico reported.