An internal Justice Department (DOJ) memo has argued that Attorney General Merrick Garland is above the law and immune to prosecution for contempt of Congress.
The 57-page document issued by the DOJ’s Office of Legal Counsel (OLC), obtained by The Hill, explains why Garland did not surrender the embarrassing audio recording of Biden’s discussion with Special Counsel Robert Hur despite congressional demands.
This decision follows despite the GOP possessing a transcript of the interview. The Gateway Pundit reported that the White House admitted to altering the transcript of Joe Biden’s testimony to the Special Counsel to make him appear less incompetent.
This not-so-shocking admission comes on the heels of a lawsuit filed by the Heritage Foundation and Judicial Watch against the US Department of Justice, demanding the release of the original recording of Biden’s testimony.
Biden has personally invoked Executive Privilege against The Heritage Foundation and Judicial Watch in an attempt to keep his controversial interview with Special Counsel Hur under wraps.
“Biden Justice Dept cleaned up transcript of Biden’s interview w/ Special Counsel Hur to remove his stuttering, pauses & other indications he lost his train of thought. Judicial Watch chief Tom Fitton: “The transcript is not accurate & was changed in a way to help Biden,” Paul Sperry wrote.
“The WH doctored the Biden transcript with Special Counsel Hur about his classified docs!!! They just convicted Trump for fake crimes. Does everyone see what is happening??!!! We control the HOUSE. We have to act. No more pathetic excuses,” Rep. Marjorie Greene wrote on X.
Now, the OLC, acting as the DOJ’s legal adviser, asserted that no administration official has ever faced prosecution for non-compliance with a subpoena when the president has invoked executive privilege, according to The Hill.
The memo states, “For nearly seven decades and across presidential administrations of both parties, the Executive Branch has taken the position that the criminal contempt of Congress statute … does not apply to Executive Branch officials who do not comply with a congressional subpoena based on a presidential assertion of executive privilege.”
“Consistent with this longstanding position, no U.S. Attorney has pursued criminal contempt charges against an Executive Branch official asserting the President’s claim of executive privilege,” the memo added.
On Wednesday, the House GOP voted to advance Garland’s contempt resolution by a narrow 208-207 majority, while 16 lawmakers did not vote.
Rep. Anna Paulina Luna said she would force a vote on Merrick Garland’s arrest if the Justice Department doesn’t follow through after a contempt resolution.
Rep. Anna Paulina Luna said she doesn’t have faith in Biden’s Justice Department, so she is ready to force a vote on Merrick Garland’s arrest.
Earlier this year, Washington Post reporter Matt Viser revealed that Special Counsel Robert Hur concluded that Joe Biden recklessly mishandled sensitive materials discovered at his home and former office.
Disturbingly, the investigation also uncovered that Biden shared government secrets with his ghostwriter, further underscoring his blatant disregard for national security.
Adding to this damning report, it was revealed that during interviews with the Special Counsel, Biden struggled to answer even basic questions, such as when he served as Vice President or the year his son Beau passed away from brain cancer.
However, the DOJ opted not to bring charges against Biden, citing concerns that a jury would deem him too mentally incompetent to stand trial.
The White House confronted a critical decision about releasing the interview transcript. Biden’s legal team contended that Hur’s references to Biden’s memory issues during the interview were misleading and unfairly prejudicial.
Joe Biden attacked Robert Hur during an impromptu presser after the report was released.
“There is even a reference that I don’t remember when my son died. How in the hell dare he raise that?” Biden previously told reporters in an impromptu White House press conference. “Frankly, when I was asked the question, I thought to myself, it wasn’t any of their damn business.”
In March, Republicans planned to hold U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland in contempt for the Justice Department’s refusal to release the audio recordings of Joe Biden’s interview with Special Counsel Robert Hur.
“The House Oversight and Judiciary Committees issued lawful subpoenas to Attorney General Garland for the audio recordings of President Biden’s interview with Special Counsel Hur, yet he continues to defy our subpoenas,” House Oversight Chairman James Comer said in a statement. “These audio recordings are important to our investigation of President Biden’s willful retention of classified documents and his fitness to be President of the United States.”
But White House counsel Ed Siskel lashed out at the House GOP in an angry letter, accusing them of only wanting the recordings “to chop them up” and use them for political reasons.
