House Speaker Mike Johnson said the House Judiciary Committee is planning on filing a lawsuit next week to force the Justice Department to provide them with the audio from President Biden’s interview with special counsel Robert Hur.
“We are going to file suit next week against the Department of Justice to enforce that subpoena. We will go to district court here in D.C. which is the appropriate venue and we will fight vigorously to get it,” Mr. Johnson told reporters Wednesday.
Mr. Hur’s investigation looked into whether the president mishandled classified documents. The final report of his findings said the president did mishandle classified documents, but he didn’t recommend criminal charges because a jury would sympathize with Mr. Biden being a forgetful, old man.
The transcript of the interview was already released, but Mr. Johnson, Louisiana Republican, said they needed the audio to verify what the transcript says.
“We need it. We’ve talked about it here with this group before, is that we’ve got to have the audiotape to confirm what is on the written transcript,” he said.
Attorney General Merrick Garland has refused the GOP’s subpoena for the audio, citing the president’s executive privileges. The House voted earlier this month to hold Mr. Garland in contempt for refusing to turn over the audio of the interview. The Justice Department declined to prosecute Mr. Garland for contempt.
Mr. Johnson’s announcement comes after Rep. Anna Paulina Luna, Florida Republican, sent a letter to her colleagues Monday detailing her plan to force a vote this week on an “inherent contempt” resolution against Mr. Garland.
Mr. Johnson said he had spoken to Ms. Luna about her plans, but that he doesn’t think “anything’s been settled on as of yet.”
“We’re going to be as aggressive as we can and use every tool in our arsenal to make sure that it happens because we have an obligation on the Constitution to do it,” he said.
The Washington Times has reached out to the Justice Department for comment.
• Mallory Wilson can be reached at mwilson@washingtontimes.com.
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