White House Blocks Release of Biden Interview
After weeks of intense debate, the White House has decided to block the release of audio from President Joe Biden's interview with a special counsel about his handling of classified documents. This decision comes after Republicans in Congress requested the tapes in an attempt to use them for political purposes.
In a scathing letter to House Republicans, White House counsel Ed Siskel accused them of having ulterior motives, stating that they only wanted the recordings to "chop them up, distort them, and use them for partisan political purposes." He also argued that there was no legitimate reason for the Republicans to have access to the audio.
The dispute over the tapes has become the focal point of a Republican effort to hold Attorney General Merrick Garland in contempt of Congress. It is also seen as a larger attempt to hinder President Biden's re-election campaign in the final months of a closely contested race.
In response to the White House's decision, House Speaker Mike Johnson criticized Biden for trying to suppress the tapes, alleging that he was afraid of voters hearing them during an election year. Johnson also accused Biden of being an "elderly man with a poor memory," citing comments made by the special counsel during his investigation.
Joe Biden is breaking the law to hide a recording of his deposition with DOJ prosecutors who claimed he was too old and senile to be federally charged for breaking the same law Biden is trying to put Trump in prison for breaking. https://t.co/pLMJhPuRkB
— Sean Davis (@seanmdav) May 16, 2024
Garland, on the other hand, has advised Biden in a letter that the audio falls within the scope of executive privilege. This privilege is meant to protect a president's ability to obtain candid counsel from his advisers without fear of immediate public disclosure.
While the Justice Department has provided a transcript of Biden's interview with the special counsel, they have refused to hand over the audio. Garland explained that releasing the tape could jeopardize future sensitive and high-profile investigations, as witnesses may be hesitant to cooperate.
Republican lawmakers have accused Biden of orchestrating a cover-up by not releasing the audio, claiming that it is essential for the American people to hear his interview. They argue that the tapes could reveal important information about Biden's mental acuity and fitness for office.
Democrats in the House, however, plan to defend Biden's decision and rationale behind not releasing the tapes. They plan to highlight the massive amount of documents and witnesses that have been made available to Republicans as part of their more than yearlong probe into Biden and his family.
The release of the audio has become a contentious issue as both parties prepare for the upcoming midterm elections. Republicans see it as a potential opportunity to damage Biden's re-election prospects, while Democrats view it as a desperate attempt to keep their impeachment inquiry into Biden alive.
Breaking: President Biden is citing executive privilege in seeking to keep secret the audio of his interview with Special Counsel Robert Hur. @NBCNews and many other news organizations are seeking this audio because we believe it's a public record and it's in the public interest…
— Ken Dilanian (@KenDilanianNBC) May 16, 2024
The special counsel, Robert Hur, was appointed in January to investigate the discovery of classified documents in multiple locations tied to Biden. Hur's report revealed that while some of the documents were retained by mistake, there was evidence of willful retention and disclosure of others.
Many of the files found in Biden's Delaware home and at the Penn Biden Center in Washington were related to his opposition to a troop surge in Afghanistan during the Obama administration. Biden had previously shared this information with a ghostwriter for his memoirs, which were published in 2007 and 2017.
The controversy surrounding the audio recordings has sparked concerns about the integrity of future investigations and how they could be affected by the potential release or selective release of sensitive information.
Garland has warned Congress that a contempt effort would create "unnecessary and unwarranted conflict" and that it is a longstanding position of the executive branch that an official cannot be held in contempt of Congress if they assert the president's claim of executive privilege.
Overall, the decision to block the release of the audio recordings has brought the ongoing investigation into Biden's handling of classified documents to a boiling point. With both sides digging their heels in and fiercely defending their positions, it remains to be seen how this conflict will ultimately play out.