The US House of Representatives passed a resolution by a vote of 216-207 on Wednesday in finding Attorney General Merrick Garland in contempt of Congress for refusing to comply with the Committee on the Judiciary’s subpoena for the audio recordings of Special Counsel Robert Hur’s interviews with President Biden. 

While Garland previously told the Judiciary Committee that he provided the Committee with Hur’s report and transcripts of Hur’s interview with Biden, Garland stated that he would not provide audio recordings. Garland said, “Releasing the audio would chill cooperation with the Department in future investigations … [and may] influence witnesses’ answers if they thought the audio of their law enforcement interviews could be broadcast to Congress and the public.” Garland also claimed that some members of the Committee sought contempt to access sensitive information that may undermine the integrity of future investigations.

Congresswoman Claudia Tenney said Hur’s report detailed how Biden “knowingly and willfully removed, mishandled [] and disclosed classified documents repeatedly over decades.” Tenney previously demanded Garland to press charges or remove Biden from office for “willfully mishandling classified documents” by invoking the 25th Amendment.

Federal Judge Maryellen Noreika refused on April 12 to grant Hunter Biden’s motion to dismiss the federal gun charges he faced. Hunter Biden’s original motion to dismiss the charges alleged that the appointment of Special Counsel David Weiss, appointed by Garland in 2023, was unlawful under Department of Justice regulations, which state that “The Special Counsel shall be selected from outside the United States Government.” At the time of Weiss’ appointment, he was a US Attorney for the District of Delaware.