Robert K. Hur, the special counsel who recently concluded an investigation into President Biden’s retention of sensitive government documents, will face tough questioning from both Democrats and Republicans when he testifies before the House Judiciary Committee on Tuesday.
In his report, Mr. Hur found that President Biden should face no criminal charges, but his description of the president as “a sympathetic, well-meaning, elderly man with a poor memory” has drawn criticism from both sides of the aisle. Republicans are likely to question him about his legal justifications for not charging Mr. Biden, while Democrats are expected to challenge his authority to make assessments about the president’s memory.
Mr. Hur, who has resigned as special counsel and will testify as a private citizen, will be represented by a private lawyer, William A. Burck. The political stakes of the hearing are high, coming just days after President Biden delivered a State of the Union address defending his presidency and addressing concerns about his age and mental fitness.
The Hur report highlights the challenges of deploying special counsels, with Mr. Hur’s unvarnished narrative likely motivated by the need to justify his decision not to charge President Biden. The release of negative information about individuals who have been cleared of criminal wrongdoing is a common outcome of special counsel investigations.
Despite the criticism from both parties, Mr. Hur, a registered Republican with a reputation for handling high-pressure investigations, is expected to confine his answers to the contents of his report and provide truthful responses within that context. The hearing will be closely watched as a test of Mr. Hur’s handling of a politically charged investigation and his ability to navigate the divided political landscape in Washington.
