Attorney General Merrick Garland is subpoenaed by Republicans demanding transcripts, audio recordings of Special Counsel Robert Hur's interview with President Biden in which he appeared 'elderly' and confused
- Robert Hur's report calls Biden 'well-meaning, elderly man with a poor memory'
- His report repeatedly raises issues about his 'hazy' memory
- Three GOP committee chairs had threatened to subpoena the material if the DOJ did not turn it over within a week
- They say they are 'concerned' that Biden may have retained sensitive documents 'related to specific countries involving his family’s foreign business dealings'
House Republicans have subpoenaed the Justice Department for recordings and transcripts of Special Counsel Hur's interview with President Joe Biden in which he described him as an 'elderly man' with 'diminished faculties.'
The three GOP committee chairs leading the Joe Biden impeachment inquiry into whether he was involved in his family's shady businesses made good on their threats to subpoena the material if they did not get it by February 19.
Now that the deadline passed, the Republicans are taking more aggressive action on the eve of their impeachment deposition with star witness Hunter Biden.
They say they are 'concerned' that Biden may have retained sensitive documents 'related to specific countries involving his family’s foreign business dealings.'
In particular, they wanted to know if Biden's lawyers placed 'limitations or scoping restrictions' on statements that could have 'directly' linked the president to 'troublesome foreign payments.'
Hur is expected to testify at a public hearing before the House Judiciary Committee on March 12 and answer further questions.
Biden fumed at Special Counsel Robert Hur's accusation that the Scranton-native didn't know when his son Beau died
The box circled in the foreground contained documents about Afghanistan. The picture was taken in December 2022 in Biden's garage, with other household items
They are particularly requesting documents related to then-Vice President Biden’s December 2015 phone call with Ukraine's prime minister.
They say that the phone call occurred around the same time that Biden 'called for the firing of the Ukrainian prosecutor who was investigating Burisma,' the board of which Hunter sat on.
Hur's report, summarizing his probe of Biden's mishandling of classified documents, contains a multitude of examples of Biden's 'hazy' memory, including one point where Biden appeared to forget when his son Beau died.
Oversight Committee Chair James Comer, together with Judiciary Chair Jim Jordan and Ways and Means Chair Jason Smith, wrote to Attorney General Merrick Garland asking for the transcript and any recording of an interview with Biden that took place over October 8 and October 9, 2023.
Their committees have probed whether Biden's handling of classified documents related to his alleged involvement in his family's business dealings.
They wrote that the DOJ had rebuffed their requests for documents to 'protect the integrity of Special Counsel Hur's ongoing investigation,' but that investigation has now wrapped.
The Republicans now want to know if Biden 'retained sensitive documents related to specific countries involving his family's foreign business dealings.'
They added: 'We seek to understand whether the White House or President Biden's personal attorneys placed any limitations or scoping restrictions during the interview that would have precluded a line of inquiry regarding evidence.'
Comer, Jordan and Smith have now asked for transcripts, audio and video recordings and any other documents related to Biden's special counsel interview.
Hur concluded earlier this month that 'no criminal charges are warranted in this matter' of Biden's document handling, and Republicans say they now need to see the interview to probe whether the DOJ is using a double standard with Biden's and Trump's mishandling of secret documents.
Hur's inclusion of language in his report referring to the president as a 'well-meaning, elderly man with a poor memory' proved politically explosive, and precipitated an angry press conference by the president Thursday night.
Hur insisted that Biden had 'diminished faculties' and at points 'did not remember when he was vice president.'
Republicans jumped on the material, saying it proves Biden isn't fit to run the country.
House Oversight Committee chairman Rep. James Comer is demanding transcripts of President Joe Biden's interviews with Special Counsel Robert Hur's investigators in their classified documents probe
Rubert Hur's report references Biden's 'fuzzy' memory
The investigative push indicates Biden is continued to face lingering political challenges in the aftermath of Hur's probe, even as it announced that he would not be charged with any crimes related to his 'willful' retention of classified documents.
Hur gave Biden's rival Donald Trump and Republicans plenty to work with even with out additional paper or transcripts.
It said if Biden were to be charged, a jury might be sympathetic since he comes off as a 'well-meaning, elderly man with a poor memory.'
One particularly damaging passage that Hur included said: 'In his interview with our office, Mr. Biden's memory was worse. He did not remember when he was vice president, forgetting on the first day of the interview when his term ended ('if it was 2013 - when did I stop being Vice President?'), and forgetting on the second day of the interview when his term began ('in 2009, am I still Vice President?'),' according to the report.
'He did not remember, even within several years, when his son Beau died. And his memory appeared hazy when describing the Afghanistan debate that was once so important to him.'
Biden erupted at that passage in a defiant press conference where he said his memory is 'fine.'
'There's even reference that I don't remember when my son died. How in the hell dare he raise that? I don't need anyone, I don't need anyone, to remind me of when he passed away,' the president told reporters.
'Frankly, when I was asked the question, I thought to myself, wasn't any of their damned business.'
Asked about the 'elderly man' language, Biden said: 'I'm well meaning and I'm an elderly man, and I know what the hell I'm doing. I'm the president and I put this country back on its feet. I don't need his recommendation it's totally out of [order].'
Biden's official response from his lawyers, included in the back of the Hur report, blasts the inclusion of 'highly prejudicial' language about his memory, and asks why other witnesses got a pass for 'fuzzy' memory lapses. It says it relies on 'highly prejudicial language' to describe memory lapses that are a 'common occurrence.'
If faults Hur for even bringing up how Biden might defend himself before a jury since his report concluded he shouldn't be charged.
