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In Washington, House Republicans are intensifying their push to compel Attorney General Merrick Garland to comply with a subpoena, despite the Justice Department’s announcement that it will not prosecute Garland after Congress voted to hold him in contempt. House Speaker Mike Johnson has pledged to employ every possible strategy to secure the subpoena’s enforcement, as discussed during a press briefing on Wednesday.
This effort includes a demand for the release of audio recordings from an interview with President Joe Biden conducted by special counsel Robert Hur, which pertains to the president’s management of classified documents. This request is part of the House Judiciary and Oversight committees’ impeachment inquiry. Despite this, in May, President Biden invoked executive privilege to withhold the recordings.
The decision to pursue contempt charges against Garland follows a precedent, with former Attorneys General Eric Holder and Bill Barr similarly held in contempt in 2012 and 2019, respectively, without subsequent legal consequences.
Speaker Johnson, at a recent press conference, emphasized the Republicans’ resolve to access the audio tapes to verify the contents against the written transcript of Hur’s interview with Biden. He announced plans for the House Judiciary Committee to file a lawsuit against the Justice Department the following week to enforce the subpoena. Meanwhile, discussions continue on alternative strategies to obtain the recordings.
One such strategy could involve invoking “inherent contempt,” a measure which Representative Anna Paulina Luna of Florida has been advocating. This approach, seldom used in modern times, could lead to Garland being taken into custody. Luna has indicated she will push for a vote on this action through a privileged motion unless the tapes are produced immediately.
Luna’s proposition, detailed in a recent letter to fellow members of Congress, could see Garland brought before the House for a trial and potentially detained. This marks the serious tone Congress is adopting regarding the subpoena’s compliance.
Although the House’s contempt resolution was largely supported by Republicans, the level of backing for Luna’s motion is yet to be determined. With the House in recess the following week, the vote could be delayed until mid-July. Speaker Johnson acknowledges ongoing discussions regarding the approach, indicating that plans are still being formulated.