Department of Justice Rejects Republican Party’s Second Request for Audio recording involving Biden and Harris

The Justice Department (DOJ) has once again refused 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, The Hill reported.

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

This decision raises the possibility of contempt proceedings against Attorney General Merrick Garland, a step that House Judiciary Committee Chair Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, has previously suggested.

Carlos Uriarte, head of legislative affairs for the DOJ, criticized the demands, stating, “Our cooperation has been exceptional. The committees have not reciprocated.” He questioned the motives behind the requests, suggesting they may be politically driven.

The dispute revolves around the House Judiciary Committee’s and House Oversight and Accountability Committee’s request 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 possess a transcript of the interview, Republicans argue that the recordings provide unique insights into Biden’s demeanor and communication style.

The DOJ argues that releasing the recordings could hinder law enforcement efforts and discourage future cooperation from witnesses.

Republican lawmakers have criticized the DOJ’s refusal to comply with their demands, accusing the agency of obstructing justice and stating that the recordings are crucial for a thorough impeachment investigation. They argue that the recordings offer valuable context and nuances that cannot be captured in written transcripts alone.

“Your response to the subpoenas is inadequate, which suggests that you are withholding records for partisan reasons and to avoid embarrassment for President Biden,” they wrote.

The lawmakers believe that audio recordings offer a deeper insight: “a unique and valuable form of information that captures vocal tone, pace, inflections, verbal nuances, and other subtleties.”

“A transcription is unable to capture these revealing verbal cues,” they added.

This latest clash follows a previous 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,” according to a letter obtained by CBS News in early April.

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