DOJ again refuses to hand over audio of Biden's special counsel interview under threats of contempt

In a letter sent to the House Judiciary and Oversight Committees Thursday, the Department of Justice extensively explained its decision to continue to withhold audio from President Joe Biden's interview with Special Counsel Robert Hur in his classified documents investigation. 

Oversight Chairman James Comer and Judiciary Chairman Jim Jordan sent a letter last month to Attorney General Merrick Garland threatening contempt proceedings if the department did not turn over the materials requested by the committees. 

"The Committees’ letter threatens contempt proceedings to enforce a subpoena to which the Department has already responded. We have repeatedly invited the Committees to identify how these audio recordings from law enforcement files would serve the purposes for which you say you want them," Assistant Attorney General Carlos Uriarte wrote to congressional investigators. 

"We have also repeatedly urged the Committees to avoid unnecessary conflict and to respect the public interest in the Department’s ability to conduct effective investigations by protecting sensitive law enforcement files. The Committees have repeatedly failed to explain your needs or to demonstrate respect for the Department’s law enforcement functions," he added. 

You can read the letter below: 

The Biden Justice Department argues the committees have not demonstrated "legitimate congressional need" for the interview tapes that would warrant overriding concerns about "protecting the confidentiality of law enforcement files," according to the letter. 

"The Biden Administration does not get to determine what Congress needs and does not need for its oversight of the executive branch. The American people deserve to hear the actual audio of President Biden’s answers to Special Counsel Hur," Chairman Comer said in response to an earlier refusal by the department to turn over the recordings. 

“We will respond to the Department of Justice," Comer vowed in a statement to Just the News on Thursday.