Jake Tapper Comments On Special Council Recordings
CNN anchor Jake Tapper openly criticized the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) on Wednesday for withholding audio tapes of Special Counsel Robert Hur’s interview with President Joe Biden from Congress. Tapper argued that there was "no basis" for the DOJ's refusal to release the recordings.
The contentious discussion took place after Rep. Dan Goldman, D-N.Y., claimed that Republican lawmakers were using the situation to politically harm President Biden and support former President Donald Trump. Goldman suggested that holding Attorney General Merrick Garland in contempt of Congress for not releasing the audio tapes was a politically motivated move.
Tapper pushed back against this narrative. "But there’s really no basis for the Justice Department to not give the audio recordings to Congress either," he told Goldman in a CNN segment flagged by The Daily Caller.
The debate arose in the context of the ongoing drama surrounding the Hur report, which resulted from an investigation into Biden’s alleged mishandling of classified documents. The report concluded that while there was evidence of improper handling, no charges were recommended against Biden, citing his advanced age and declining mental acuity.
The findings of the Hur report have sparked significant political controversy, raising concerns about Biden’s age and cognitive abilities. Even traditionally liberal outlets like The New York Times have raised questions about Biden’s capacity and his limited media access.
Despite making transcripts of Hur’s interview with Biden public, the DOJ has resisted releasing the audio, citing concerns about the potential misuse of the recordings due to advancements in audio technology, artificial intelligence, and "deep fake" technologies. The DOJ argued in a court filing that these technologies could threaten the integrity of the audio and lead to misinformation.
This week, the Republican-led House voted to hold Garland in contempt of Congress for withholding the audio transcripts. During his CNN interview, Goldman criticized this decision, stating, "It’s a very disappointing day, and it’s another effort by the Republican Party to dig a deeper hole for this institution." He drew parallels to past instances where the Trump administration refused to provide documents during the first impeachment investigation.
Goldman argued that the DOJ's provision of the interview transcripts should suffice. "There is no legitimate legislative purpose for them to obtain the audio recording because they’re not prosecuting him, they’re not trying to determine whether to prosecute him, and there’s no legislation they can identify, there’s no oversight they can identify that points to why they need the audio recording," he said. Goldman suggested that the true motive behind the push for the audio tapes was to allow Trump to use them during his campaign.
Tapper offered a broader perspective on the situation, noting that three of the past five attorneys general have been found in contempt of Congress. He pointed out that an ordinary citizen might see the legislative branch as attempting to conduct oversight of the executive branch, only to be consistently rebuffed by whoever holds executive power. "It seems to me as though the legislative branch is trying to do oversight of the executive branch and the executive branch keeps giving — whoever’s in charge of Congress — the executive branch consistently gives the finger to the House," Tapper remarked.