House Republicans are threatening to hold Attorney General Merrick Garland in contempt of Congress for the Justice Department’s failure to produce subpoenaed audio recordings of former Special Counsel Robert Hur’s interview with President Biden as part of an investigation into his handling of classified records. House Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer and House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jim Jordan wrote to Garland demanding the production of the requested material by April 8, 2024, or face further action, including the invocation of contempt of Congress proceedings. The Justice Department has produced two redacted transcripts of Hur’s interviews with Biden but has not provided the audio recordings, prompting the threat of contempt.
Comer and Jordan have also subpoenaed Biden’s ghostwriter, Mark Zwonitzer, for documents and communications related to his work on the president’s memoirs, including emails, call logs, contracts, agreements, audio recordings of interviews and conversations with Biden, and transcripts of those conversations and interviews. Hur’s report, released last month, indicates that Biden would read classified information from his notebooks verbatim to Zwonitzer, raising concerns about the handling of classified materials. Hur testified that Zwonitzer deleted files of audio recordings and transcripts upon learning of the investigation, prompting questions about the destruction of evidence.
During his public hearing earlier this month, Hur testified that Biden “willfully retained classified materials” and shared them with Zwonitzer, who was hired to assist with the president’s memoirs. The report states that Biden read from his notebooks virtually verbatim for extended periods and shared classified notes from national security meetings with the ghostwriter at least three times. Despite evidence of mishandling classified information, including the sharing of classified notes, Hur did not file charges after completing his investigation. His testimony and the findings of his report have raised questions about Biden’s handling of classified records and the actions of his ghostwriter in retaining this information.
House Republicans are pressing for the release of audio recordings of Hur’s interviews with Biden and Zwonitzer as part of their investigation into the handling of classified records. The failure of the Justice Department to produce these recordings has prompted threats of contempt proceedings against Attorney General Garland if the material is not provided by the specified deadline. The involvement of Zwonitzer in the retention of classified information shared by Biden has raised additional concerns about the handling of sensitive materials by the president and those working on his behalf. The ongoing investigation has drawn attention to potential unauthorized disclosures of classified information and the need for accountability in the handling of such materials.
The House Judiciary Committee’s demands for the audio recordings and transcripts of Hur’s interviews with Biden and Zwonitzer underscore the seriousness of the concerns about the handling of classified materials by the president and his ghostwriter. The revelation that Biden shared classified notes with Zwonitzer multiple times and that the ghostwriter deleted evidence upon learning of the investigation raises questions about potential obstruction of justice and tampering with evidence. The threat of contempt of Congress proceedings against Attorney General Garland underscores the commitment of House Republicans to holding the Justice Department accountable for the timely production of the requested material and ensuring transparency and accountability in the investigation into the handling of classified records.
