The House has voted to hold Attorney General Merrick Garland in contempt of Congress for refusing to turn over audio recordings of President Joe Biden’s interview in the classified documents investigation.
Congress voted 216-207 along party lines, with only Republicans voting to rebuke the Justice Department head.
Ohio Rep. Dave Joyce was the only Republican who voted "no."
“We have to defend the Constitution. We have to defend the authority of Congress,” House Speaker Mike Johnson said at a press conference before the vote. “We can’t allow the Department of Justice and Executive Branch to hide information from Congress.” This week, Attorney General Merrick Garland will be held in contempt of Congress for refusing to comply with a lawful subpoena.
We cannot allow the Department of Justice to hide information from Congress. pic.twitter.com/ccvk05tcMj
— Speaker Mike Johnson (@SpeakerJohnson) June 12, 2024
Congress currently has a transcript of the interview but is seeking the audio recording, which the Justice Department has refused to provide.
House Oversight Chair James Comer, a Republican, has accused the Justice Department of trying “to cover up President Biden’s wrongdoing.”
“This contempt resolution will do very little, other than smear the reputation of Merrick Garland, who will remain a good and decent public servant no matter what Republicans say about him today," New York Rep. Jerry Nadler, the top Democrat on Judiciary Committee, said in his remarks before the vote.
The Associated Press reports, "Garland is now the third attorney general to be held in contempt of Congress. Yet it is unlikely that the Justice Department — which Garland oversees — will prosecute him. The White House’s decision to exert executive privilege over the audio recording, shielding it from Congress, would make it exceedingly difficult to make a criminal case against Garland."
Bill Barr was the last attorney general to be held in contempt of Congress in 2019.
“It is deeply disappointing that this House of Representatives has turned a serious congressional authority into a partisan weapon. Today’s vote disregards the constitutional separation of powers, the Justice Department’s need to protect its investigations, and the substantial amount of information we have provided to the Committees,” Garland said in a statement after the vote.
“I will always stand up for this Department, its employees, and its vital mission to defend our democracy.”
