Biden Asserts Executive Privilege , Over Audio of Interview With Robert Hur.<br />In February, Hur's yearlong investigation <br />into whether President Biden mishandled classified documents ended without enough evidence to support criminal charges.<br />In February, Hur's yearlong investigation <br />into whether President Biden mishandled classified documents ended without enough evidence to support criminal charges.<br />House Republicans were provided a <br />transcript of Biden's interview with Hur, but they wanted the audio, which the DOJ denied.<br />As a result, House Republicans were <br />moving to hold Attorney General <br />Merrick Garland in contempt of Congress.<br />On May 16, the Department of Justice told House Republicans that the president asserted executive privilege over audio from his interview with the special counsel.<br />The move protects Garland from criminal exposure as GOP lawmakers seek to hold him accountable.<br />Assistant Attorney General Carlos Uriarte <br />explained the DOJ's actions in a letter.<br />The Attorney General must draw a line <br />that safeguards the Department from <br />improper political influence and protects <br />our principles, our law enforcement work, <br />and the people who carry out that work <br />independently, without fear or favor, Assistant Attorney General Carlos Uriarte, via letter .<br />The Committees seek to hold the <br />Attorney General in contempt <br />not for failing in his duties, <br />but for upholding them, Assistant Attorney General Carlos Uriarte, via letter .<br />With the information you now have, <br />the Committees ought not to proceed <br />with contempt and should instead avoid <br />unnecessary and unwarranted conflict, Assistant Attorney General Carlos Uriarte, via letter .<br />White House Counsel Ed Siskel also wrote a letter supporting the assertion of executive privilege. .<br />The absence of a legitimate need <br />for the audio recordings lays bare <br />your likely goal—to chop them up, <br />distort them, and use them for <br />partisan political purposes, White House Counsel Ed Siskel, via letter
