WASHINGTON, DC (NV) – The House of Representatives on Thursday, July 11, rejected a resolution proposed by Republicans to hold Attorney General Merrick Garland in “contempt” of Congress for not turning over the tape recording of special prosecutor Robert Hur’s interrogation of President Joe Biden, according to NBC News.
The resolution, drafted by Representative Anna Paulina Luna (R-Florida), an ally of former President Donald Trump, calls on the House of Representatives to fine Mr. Garland $10,000 for each day he fails to turn over the tapes.
Under the old contempt procedure, the House chief of staff would have ordered the arrest and brought before the House floor, but that procedure has not been used in more than a century. Luna’s resolution asks House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-Louisiana) to impose a fine on Garland, although it is unclear what form Johnson would take.
Luna’s resolution does not call for Garland’s arrest.
After the resolution was rejected, Luna took to social media to announce that she would bring the issue to the House floor again, saying her resolution only failed “due to the absence of a few Republican congressmen.”
“We are confident that the resolution will pass,” Luna said. “Just because it fails the first time doesn’t mean it won’t pass the second time.”
The vote was 204-210. Four Republicans — John Duarte and Tom McClintock, both of California; and Dave Joyce and Mike Turner, both of Ohio — voted no along with all the Democrats. Twelve other Republicans were absent.
Republicans have been trying to obtain tapes of the interview of President Biden from Hur, the special prosecutor appointed by Garland to investigate Biden’s retention of classified documents after leaving the Senate and vice presidency. Despite finding that Biden’s actions “pose a serious risk to national security,” Hur has not prosecuted Biden, in part because Biden would likely prove to be “an old man with a poor memory,” which would appeal to a sympathetic jury.
In March, the Justice Department released a transcript of Hur’s five-hour interview with President Biden on October 8 and 9, 2023. But Luna and other Republicans said they wanted to hear the audio itself to ensure it was not edited.
The White House has claimed executive privilege in refusing to hand over the tapes, and President Biden’s Democratic allies in Congress have argued that the transcripts are sufficient.
Thursday’s vote comes a month after the House voted 216-207 to hold Garland in contempt of Congress over the tapes, but the Justice Department declined to prosecute him.
The FBI found classified documents at President Biden’s office and home in late 2022 and early 2023. (Th.Long)