Shreveport Reporter

WASHINGTON — Speaker Johnson released a statement following the House's decision to hold Attorney General Merrick Garland in contempt of Congress for not complying with lawful Congressional subpoenas.

“Today, the House took a significant step in maintaining the integrity of our oversight processes and responsibilities by holding Attorney General Garland in contempt of Congress. This decision was not made lightly but is essential to ensure transparency and accountability within the Special Counsel’s office," said Speaker Johnson.

He added, “It is up to Congress – not the Executive Branch – to determine what materials it needs to conduct its own investigations, and there are consequences for refusing to comply with lawful Congressional subpoenas. Congress has a responsibility to conduct oversight of the Special Counsel’s work and specifically Special Counsel Hur’s determination not to prosecute President Biden for the clear violation of the law."

“The Committees need the audio tapes to verify the accuracy of the written transcripts given this White House has been known to heavily edit the President’s statements. This is a simple matter – we have the transcript, and we need the audio,” he concluded.

The House Committees on Oversight and Accountability and Judiciary issued subpoenas to Attorney General Garland on February 27, 2024, requesting records including transcripts, notes, video, and audio files related to Special Counsel Robert Hur’s investigation into President Joe Biden’s handling of classified information. Attorney General Garland has refused to provide these audio files.

On May 16, 2024, President Biden asserted executive privilege over these recordings ahead of the markup of contempt resolutions in both committees. The resolution finds Attorney General Merrick Garland in criminal contempt under 2 U.S.C. 192 and 194 and authorizes Speaker Johnson to take all appropriate actions to enforce the subpoena, including filing suit in civil court.