House Republicans have asked the Justice Department for recordings and transcripts of special counsel Hur’s interview with President Joe Biden in which he described him as an “older man” with “diminished faculties.”
The three chairmen of the committee leading the impeachment inquiry into Joe Biden followed through on their threats to subpoena the material if they did not receive it by February 19.
Now that the deadline has passed, Republicans are taking more aggressive steps on the eve of their impeachment testimony with star witness Hunter Biden.
In particular, they request documents related to then-Vice President Biden’s phone call with the Prime Minister of Ukraine in December 2015.
They say the phone call came around the same time Biden ‘called for the firing of the Ukrainian prosecutor who was investigating Burisma,’ on whose board Hunter was.
Hur is expected to testify at a public hearing before the House Judiciary Committee on March 12 and answer more questions.
Biden bristled at special counsel Robert Hur’s accusation that the Scranton native did not know when his son Beau died.
The circled box in the foreground contained documents about Afghanistan. The photograph was taken in December 2022 in Biden’s garage, with other household items.
Their report, which summarizes their investigation into Biden’s mishandling of classified documents, contains a multitude of examples of Biden’s “fuzzy” memory, including one point where Biden appeared to forget when his son Beau died.
Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer, along with Judiciary Chairman Jim Jordan and Ways and Means Chairman Jason Smith, wrote to Attorney General Merrick Garland requesting the transcript and any recordings of an interview with Biden that It took place during October 8 and 9, 2023.
Its committees have investigated whether Biden’s handling of classified documents was related to his alleged involvement in his family’s businesses.
They wrote that the Justice Department had declined their requests for documents to “protect the integrity of Special Counsel Hur’s ongoing investigation,” but that investigation has now concluded.
Republicans now want to know if Biden ‘preserved confidential documents related to specific countries involving his family’s overseas businesses.’
They added: “We seek to understand whether the White House or President Biden’s personal lawyers imposed limitations or scope restrictions during the interview that would have impeded a line of inquiry into the evidence.”
Comer, Jordan and Smith have now requested transcripts, audio and video recordings and any other documents related to the interview from Biden’s special counsel.
Hur concluded last week that “criminal charges are not warranted in this matter” over Biden’s handling of documents, and Republicans say they now need to see the interview to investigate whether the Justice Department is using a double standard with the mishandling. of secret documents by Biden and Trump.
Hur’s inclusion of language in his report referring to the president as a “well-meaning old man with a bad memory” proved politically explosive and precipitated a furious press conference by the president Thursday night.
Hur insisted that Biden had “diminished powers” and at times “didn’t remember when he was vice president.”
Republicans seized on the material, saying it shows Biden is unfit to lead 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 investigation of classified documents.
Rubert Hur report refers to Biden’s “fuzzy” memory
House Oversight Committee wants access to Biden interview transcripts for ‘transparency’
The push for the investigation indicates that Biden continues to face lingering political challenges following the Hur investigation, even as he announced he would not be charged with any crimes related to his “intentional” withholding of classified documents.
Hur gave Biden’s rival Donald Trump and Republicans plenty to work with, even without additional documents or transcripts.
He said that if Biden were indicted, a jury might be sympathetic since he presents himself as a “well-intentioned old man with a bad memory.”
One particularly damaging passage Hur included read: ‘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 were 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 couldn’t remember, even after several years, when his son Beau died. And his memory seemed hazy as he described the Afghanistan debate that was once so important to him.
Biden exploded on that passage in a defiant news conference where he said his memory is “fine.”
‘There are even references that I don’t remember when my son died. How the hell dare you bring that up? “I don’t need anyone, I don’t need anyone, to remind me when he passed away,” the president told reporters.
“Frankly, when they asked me the question, I thought, it was none of their business.”
When asked about the “old man” language, Biden said, “I mean well and I’m an old man, and I know what the hell I’m doing.” I am the president and I put this country back on its feet. I don’t need his recommendation, it’s totally out of place. [order].’
Biden’s official response from his lawyers, included in the back of the Hur report, criticizes the inclusion of “highly prejudicial” language about his memory and questions why other witnesses got a pass for “confusing” memory lapses. She says she relies on “highly damaging language” to describe memory lapses that are “a common occurrence.”
If he criticizes Hur for even mentioning how Biden could defend himself before a jury, since his report concluded that he should not be indicted.