Republican senators chastised Attorney General Merrick Garland on Tuesday for his persistent refusal to give the recording of President Biden’s meeting with Special Counsel Robert Hur.
Garland appeared before the House Judiciary Committee on Tuesday to discuss the audio tape and the recent felony conviction of former President Trump. Republican demands for the audio were met by Garland’s refusal, stating that there was no legal basis to comply because the transcript had already been made public. He added that lawmakers are seeking the audio for “no legitimate purpose.”
Garland claimed that merely asking for the recordings was yet another “attack” on the Justice Department’s work.
Rep. Dan Bishop (R-NC) met Garland with disagreement, stating that the tape is vital to understanding Biden’s demeanor throughout the five-hour Hur interview.
Bishop added that the committee needs to observe the audio recordings of Biden testifying to see if it matches the transcript, and also to gain more knowledge on the president’s capacity and accuracy.
According to Garland, the DOJ has already “gone beyond precedent” by making the transcript available to the public. He also said that they made it clear the audio recording that were utilized would not be provided, suggesting that making the video available could deter people from working with the Department on any future investigations.
