(USNewsBreak.com) – The House has relentlessly pursued Attorney General Merrick Garland. GOP representatives are seeking the audio files from the federal probe into President Joe Biden’s handling of classified documents. When AG Garland refused to turn them over, the House Republicans on the Oversight and Judiciary Committees considered contempt charges. The attorney general recently appeared at a hearing and made his position on the matter clear.
Garland appeared before the House Judiciary Committee on Tuesday, June 4. During this time, he testified about Biden’s interview with special counsel Robert Hur and acknowledged that the House has engaged in “repeated attacks” against the Department of Justice (DOJ).
Garland explained that as seriously as he sees the possibility of contempt charges, he has no intention of endangering the ability of “prosecutors and agents to do their jobs effectively” in those probes. He referred to the recordings as “sensitive” information that could have a negative impact on investigations in the future.
The attorney general also touched on the possible contempt vote, saying Republicans were “seeking contempt […] for no legitimate purpose.” He said he “will not be intimidated.”
The White House has also echoed these sentiments, saying Republicans received the transcripts and accusing them of wanting the audio files for no other reason than to “distort” them for political gain.
During the hearing, Garland also noted that his department had handed over nearly 100,000 pages of documentation and consistently defended his decision not to turn over the audio recordings. He also addressed former President Donald Trump’s conviction in New York and the conspiracy theories that the DOJ became involved in the case, noting the accusations were “false.”
As of the time of writing, it’s unclear whether the House plans to bring the matter of holding Garland in contempt to the floor for a full vote. Even if they do, they cannot bring charges against him and would have to refer action against him to the DOJ.
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