Rep. Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, told Newsmax on Thursday the House Judiciary Committee, which he chairs, had no choice but to vote to hold Attorney General Merrick Garland in contempt of Congress.
Garland refused to comply with the committee's subpoena request of audio recordings of special counsel Robert Hur's interviews with President Joe Biden and Biden's ghostwriter Mark Zwonitzer, citing executive privilege.
Hur's report on Biden's handling of classified documents said Biden read aloud to Zwonitzer from a personal notebook that contained classified information. Hur concluded Biden "willfully retained and disclosed classified materials after his vice presidency when he was a private citizen." But Hur did not recommend charges in part because at trial, Biden would likely present himself to a jury, "as he did during our interview of him," as a sympathetic, well-meaning, elderly man with a poor memory.
The Judiciary Committee voted 18-15 along party lines on a motion to hold Garland in contempt of Congress. Jordan told "Rob Schmitt Tonight" it is clear the Department of Justice is trying to politically protect Biden while prosecuting former President Donald Trump over his handling of classified documents at his Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida.
"Our job [with the Judiciary Committee] as oversight of the Justice Department in the legislative branch is to say, make sure that there's equal administration of the law," Jordan said. "Right now, what we have is President Trump gets indicted in Miami on concerns about classified documents the Justice Department has, but Biden doesn't, and Biden doesn't even though special counsel Hur said he met the elements of the crime.
"He knowingly kept classified information. He knowingly shared classified information. He said that the reason he did it, he had strong motivations for ignoring classified procedures because he was writing a book, a book for which he got paid $8 million. So we have motive — an $8 million motive. We have the elements of the crime, but we're not going to [recommend charges] because he's a forgetful, elderly gentleman."
Jordan said if that's the case, let the committee see all of the evidence to evaluate why Hur came to his decision. Garland has given the House a written transcript of the interviews, but not the audio recordings. Democrats reportedly are concerned that such information given to House Republicans will be used to damage Biden's chance of reelection.
"Equal treatment under the law is what we're supposed to have," Jordan said. "It doesn't look like that's the case. That's why we, as an oversight body, want that information."
Jordan said the committee is considering going to court to force Garland's hand in complying with the committee's request.
"We may go to court, and we'll see what the judge says," Jordan said.
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Michael Katz ✉
Michael Katz is a Newsmax reporter with more than 30 years of experience reporting and editing on news, culture, and politics.
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