The U.S. House of Representatives passed a resolution Wednesday to hold U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland in contempt for refusing to hand over recordings of President Joe Biden being questioned about mishandling classified documents.
In a transcript of the conversation between Biden and special counsel Robert Hur, Hur described the president as a "sympathetic, well-meaning, elderly man with a poor memory." Hur decided not to pursue charges against Biden, saying a jury would likely not convict him "of a serious felony that requires a mental state of willfulness."
Biden denied Hur's characterization and tried to exert executive privilege to keep the recordings from being released. Still, the House voted 216-206 to subpoena the tapes to better understand the context of Biden's "poor memory" and to hear him answer the questions in his own words to determine his cognitive state.
All of Alabama's Republican House delegation voted in favor of the resolution.
U.S. Rep. Gary Palmer (R-Hoover) said Garland's "willingness" to have his record "tarnished" with contempt added to his suspicion as to what is on those recordings.
"Merrick Garland's refusal to release the recordings from President Biden's interview with Special Counsel Robert Hur raises serious questions about President Biden's mental fitness to function as President," said Palmer. "The White House vehemently denied Special Counsel Hur's depiction of President Biden as a 'sympathetic, well-meaning, elderly man with a poor memory.' Considering the investigation into Biden's mishandling of classified documents is closed, Biden does not face any legal jeopardy.
"Also, the fact that the written, unredacted transcript has been released, it makes no sense that AG Garland is willing to be charged in contempt of Congress for refusing to comply with the subpoena and release the recording of the interview. Garland's willingness to have his record tarnished by being held in contempt of Congress only increases speculation and concern about President Biden's mental ability to effectively carry out his duties as President."
U.S. Rep. Dale Strong (R-Huntsville) said Garland was impeding Congress' duty to hold the president accountable. U.S. Rep. Barry Moore (R-Enterprise) said the American people had the right to know what the tapes contain.
"Today, I voted with my colleagues to hold AG Merrick Garland in contempt of Congress," Strong posted on X. "The facts are simple: The leadership at the Justice Department cannot withhold materials critical to Congress' constitutional obligation to oversee and monitor the Executive."
"I just voted to hold Attorney General Merrick Garland in contempt of Congress for ignoring two subpoenas directing him to release the audio of Special Counsel Hur's interview with Joe Biden," Moore said. "The American people deserve to hear what is on those tapes."
However unlikely, Garland could theoretically face fines up to $100,000 and a year in prison if the Department of Justice made a case out of the contempt resolution, according to the AP. However, The Hill reported that a DOJ memo has already claimed Garland cannot be prosecuted due to privilege.
To connect with the story's author or comment, email daniel.taylor@1819news.com or find him on Twitter and Facebook.
Don't miss out! Subscribe to our newsletter and get our top stories every weekday morning.
