House Republicans are subpoenaing the Justice Department for records from special counsel Robert Hur’s interview with President Joe Biden, conducted during Hur’s investigation of the president’s retention of classified documents.
House Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer (R. Ky) and House Judiciary Chairman Jim Jordan (R., Ohio) subpoenaed the Justice Department Tuesday afternoon for interview transcripts, audio, notes and video files from Hur’s interview of President Biden.
“The Committees further seek to understand whether the White House or President Biden’s personal attorneys placed any limitations or scoping restrictions during the interviews with Special Counsel Hur or Mr. Mark Zwonitzer precluding or addressing any potential statements directly linking President Biden to troublesome foreign payments,” the lawmakers said in a subpoena cover letter to Attorney General Merrick Garland.
Among the classified documents retained by Biden were files related to Ukraine and China, two countries central to his son Hunter’s lucrative foreign business dealings. Hunter Biden is testifying Wednesday for the impeachment inquiry into his father based primarily on Joe Biden’s apparent role in his son’s business enterprise.
“Special Counsel Hur’s report outlined that classified documents Joe Biden stashed for years relate to countries where his family cashed in on the Biden brand. We owe it to the American people to provide transparency and accountability about the extent of Joe Biden retaining sensitive materials and the concerns raised about his current mental state and fitness to be President of the United States,” Comer said in a statement. Comer, Jordan and Ways and Means Committee Chairman Jason Smith (R., Mo.) are leading the impeachment inquiry.
Hur declined to pursue criminal charges against the president, despite finding evidence he “willfully retained and disclosed classified materials,” following his vice presidency, Hur explained in his lengthy final report about the investigation.
Hur observed that Biden’s advanced age and declining memory would influence a potential jury if Biden were brought to trial over his handling of classified documents. Joe Biden could not recall precisely when he served as vice president and the year his late son Beau passed away, Hur said in his report.
“Mr. Biden will likely present himself to the jury, as he did during his interview with our office, as a sympathetic, well-meaning, elderly man with a poor memory,” Hur wrote. He is set to testify publicly before the House Judiciary Committee next month.
“Special Counsel Robert Hur’s investigation into President Biden’s mishandling of classified documents made two things clear: there’s a double standard of justice in this country and Joe Biden isn’t fit for office. The transcripts and materials from his investigation are critical to our oversight work,” Jordan stated.
Biden, 81, responded to Hur’s report by holding an angry press conference where he sparred with reporters and confused the presidents of Egypt and Mexico. The Biden administration has tried to pressure the White House Correspondents Association to influence how the media is covering Hur’s findings, a move the WHCA criticized publicly.