Earlier today we told you about the White House's excuse for asserting executive privilege over the possible release of audio featuring President Biden's interviews with special counsel Robert Hur. The special counsel's final report did not recommend any charges against Biden for retaining classified documents. Why? Hur concluded that a jury would end up viewing Biden as an old man with a bad memory.
The White House's excuse for not releasing the audio was basically that Republicans would pounce (they beat the media to that spin this time).
Now it's being reported that Attorney General Merrick Garland had urged the Biden White House to assert executive privilege over the recordings:
Garland saying he suggested to the President to invoke Executive Privilege over his Special Counsel's own audio. Incredible
— Stephen L. Miller (@redsteeze) May 16, 2024
Like every other thing the Biden White House does, this stinks to high heaven.
AG Garland may be trying to get back into Biden’s good graces with this. Remember, Bidenworld leaked that POTUS has been grousing about Garland not sufficiently using the DOJ’s power to protect him & prosecute Trump: https://t.co/qTYhHU4tco https://t.co/NAIevfIJZs
— Guy Benson (@guypbenson) May 16, 2024
They're all working hand-in-hand while pretending not to be, but it couldn't be more obvious.
— Mollie (@MZHemingway) May 16, 2024
From CBS News:
But the president's assertion of executive privilege adds a new dynamic to the mix. According to another letter from the attorney general to Mr. Biden obtained by CBS News, the legal basis came from the Justice Department's Office of Legal Counsel and was agreed to by Garland himself.
"The Committees' needs are plainly insufficient to outweigh the deleterious effects that production of the recordings would have on the integrity and effectiveness of similar law enforcement investigations in the future," Garland wrote in a letter to the president dated May 15. "I therefore respectfully request that you assert executive privilege over the subpoenaed recordings. I also request that you make a protective assertion of executive privilege with respect to any other materials responsive to the subpoenas that have not already been produced."
The attorney general wrote that he feared turning over the tapes might risk chilling the cooperation of witnesses in future investigations. And the White House Counsel's Office argued that the Republican committee leaders would likely "chop up" and "distort" the recordings "for partisan political purposes" should they obtain them.
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Oh, the WH and AG are worried about "deleterious effects" alright, just not in the way they want you to believe.
But sure, Biden had nothing to do with his AG pursuing federal charges against this political opponent.
— Stephen L. Miller (@redsteeze) May 16, 2024
Oh, of course not (cue massive eye roll)!
The information is so sensitive & constitutionally protected that Garland & the DOJ released the transcripts back in March.https://t.co/YQrDUgcLpz https://t.co/4jcDRua62D pic.twitter.com/jwVJvRPrZ4
— TheRightWingM 🇺🇸🇮🇱 (@TheRightWingM) May 16, 2024
For some reason the White House really doesn't want to hear how those things were said.
But this isn't over yet:
It’s worth noting that there are multiple news outlets suing the DOJ under FOIA to get ahold of the audio from President Biden’s interview with Special Counsel Hur.
— Oversight Committee (@GOPoversight) May 16, 2024
Including:
ABC
AP
Bloomberg
CBS
CNN
WSJ
NBC
Reuters
Washington Post
Univision pic.twitter.com/tPDR0PcTCa
Stay tuned.
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