House Speaker Mike Johnson declared on Friday his intention to take legal action in federal court to enforce a subpoena against Attorney General Merrick Garland for the release of audio recordings of President Joe Biden. This decision came after the Justice Department declined to act on the House’s contempt referral.
In a statement, Johnson expressed his disagreement with the DOJ’s decision, labeling it as “another example of the two-tiered system of justice brought to us by the Biden Administration.”
“We will also move to enforce the subpoena of Attorney General Garland in federal court,” Johnson announced, emphasizing his determination to pursue the matter.
The DOJ cited its longstanding policy of not prosecuting executive branch officials who withhold information subject to executive privilege from Congress in a letter addressed to Johnson earlier that day.
The House previously held Garland in contempt for refusing to turn over audio from Biden’s interview in special counsel Robert Hur’s classified documents investigation, prompting the current legal battle.
Republican lawmakers argue that access to the tapes would enhance transparency and oversight regarding the investigation into the sitting US president.
Every Republican in the House, with the exception of Rep. Dave Joyce of Ohio, voted in favor of holding Garland in contempt of Congress during a recent session.
While the Justice Department defended its decision not to release the audio recordings of Biden’s interviews with Hur and his team, citing the protection of current and future investigations as a primary reason, transcripts of these interviews were made public.
Responding to questions about his memory and Hur’s report, Biden vehemently denied any wrongdoing, dismissing the allegations as baseless during a press conference.
CNN has filed a lawsuit seeking access to the audio recordings, emphasizing the critical importance of these records for a complete understanding of the investigation.
Following the vote to hold him in contempt, Garland expressed disappointment in the politicization of the issue, condemning the use of congressional authority for partisan purposes.
This developing story will be updated with additional information from our reporters.
