House Republicans are seeking to obtain a transcript of an interview that Department of Justice (DOJ) special prosecutor Robert Hur conducted with President Joe Biden in October during his investigation of Biden's handling of classified documents.
Rep. James Comer, R-Ky., chair of the House Committee on Oversight and Accountability, Rep. Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, chair of the Judiciary Committee, and Rep. Jason Smith, R-Mo., chair of the Ways and Means Committee, wrote a letter Monday to Attorney General Merrick Garland requesting a transcript of the interview, which took place Oct. 8-9. The lawmakers are leading the impeachment inquiry into allegations of influence peddling involving the president and members of his family.
"There is concern that President Biden may have retained sensitive documents related to specific countries involving his family's foreign business dealings," the lawmakers wrote. "Further, we seek to understand whether the White House or President Biden's personal attorneys placed any limitations or scoping restrictions during the interview that would have precluded a line of inquiry regarding evidence [emails, text messages, or witness statements] directly linking the President to troublesome foreign payments.
"Additionally, [the Judiciary Committee] requires these documents for its ongoing oversight of the Department's commitment to impartial justice and its handling of the investigation and prosecution of President Biden's presumptive opponent, Donald J. Trump, in the November 2024 presidential election."
Hur's report did not recommend criminal charges for Biden, stating a reason was that at trial, "Mr. Biden would likely present himself to a jury, as he did during our interview of him, as a sympathetic, well-meaning, elderly man with a poor memory. Based on our direct interactions with and observations of him, he is someone for whom many jurors will want to identify reasonable doubt. It could be difficult to convince a jury that they should convict him – by then a former president well into his 80s – of a serious felony that requires a mental state of willfulness."
The report did find Biden shared classified information with his ghostwriter, Mark Zwonitzer, although Biden denied that during combative news conference Thursday, the day Hur's report was released.
"This assertion appears to be false," the lawmakers wrote about Biden's denial. "Thus, mere hours after the release of Mr. Hur's report, the President appears to have inaccurately contradicted key facts about its contents."
The lawmakers wrote they are requesting a transcript of the interview with Biden plus "any other records of this interview, including, but not limited to, any recordings, notes, or summaries of the interview" to be delivered to them by Feb. 19.
They also are seeking documents related to Hur's interview with Zwonitzer, plus documents related to a Dec. 11, 2015, call between Biden and then-Ukrainian Prime Minister Arseniy Yatsenyuk; and all communications between the DOJ, the Executive Office of the President, and Biden's personal counsel relating to Hur's report.
"Given the seriousness of these matters, the Committees are prepared to compel the production of this material, if necessary," the lawmakers wrote.
Newsmax reached out to the DOJ for comment.
Michael Katz ✉
Michael Katz is a Newsmax reporter with more than 30 years of experience reporting and editing on news, culture, and politics.
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