US President Joe Biden Blocks Release of Audio Recordings from Investigation
In a recent development, US President Joe Biden has blocked the release of audio recordings of his interviews from the investigation into his handling of classified files. The decision was made in response to a letter from the justice department to Republicans in Congress, asserting executive privilege.
Republicans had demanded the release of the president’s interviews with Special Counsel Robert Hur, whose explosive report was released in February. The report raised questions about Mr. Biden’s age and memory, although it did not recommend pursuing a criminal case against him.
The justice department’s letter to the House of Representatives Judiciary and Oversight committees stated that the recordings would not be released due to the invocation of executive privilege, a legal doctrine that protects some executive branch records from public disclosure.
US Attorney General Merrick Garland, who leads the department, criticized the “unprecedented and unfounded attacks” on the justice department from House Republicans. He is likely to face contempt of Congress over the decision to withhold the recordings.
President Biden confirmed the decision to block the release of the tapes in a separate letter from his White House counsel, accusing Republicans of seeking to distort the recordings for partisan political purposes.
The release of Special Counsel Hur’s report followed a year-long inquiry into allegations that Mr. Biden mishandled classified documents after leaving the vice-presidency in 2017. The report highlighted the president’s struggles to recall details relevant to the investigation, raising concerns about his age and lucidity among Republicans.
Vice President Kamala Harris criticized the report as politically motivated, while Special Counsel Hur defended it as necessary, accurate, and fair during a congressional hearing.
The justice department has provided full transcripts of the special counsel’s interviews and other relevant documents to House Republicans on the judiciary and oversight committees, despite the decision to withhold the audio recordings.
