Attorney General Merrick Garland found in contempt of Congress but likely won't face consequences

WASHINGTON, DC - Republicans leading the U.S. House of Representatives voted overwhelmingly along party lines to hold U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland, the highest-ranking federal law enforcement official in contempt of Congress for willfully defying a congressional subpoena for audio recordings of President Joe Biden's interview with Special Counsel Robert Hur.

The Department of Justice has already commented, however, that it will not prosecute the AG.

Hur interviewed Biden in the course of an investigation into his alleged mishandling of classified documents during his Obama-era tenure as Vice President. The special counsel controversially found that Biden's appearance as a "sympathetic, well-meaning, elderly man with a poor memory" would undermine his prosecution.

As reported by USA Today, the resolution holding Garland in content included a criminal referral for the U.S. attorney of the District of Columbia to begin prosecution of the AG, something which historically seems unlikely to happen.

In 2019, then-Attorney General William Barr was held in contempt per Law.com just as then-Attorney General Eric Holder was held in contempt in 2012 for failing to turn over documents related to the "Fast and Furious" gun-walking scandal as reported by Politico. However, to the dismay of grassroots Republicans, the findings against both AG's had no practical effect.

Congressman Matt Gaetz expressed his frustration with the action by the House during an appearance on Timcast IRL posting to X, "The Merrick Garland contempt vote is the lowest of low-energy action from Congress. The WORST THING going on right now at the DOJ is what they’re doing to Donald Trump! Instead of demanding videos of Joe Biden stuttering, Republicans should demand the evidence of coordinated lawfare against the leading contender for the presidency!"
 

The Merrick Garland contempt vote is the lowest of low-energy action from Congress. The WORST THING going on right now at the DOJ is what they’re doing to Donald Trump!

Instead of demanding videos of Joe Biden stuttering, Republicans should demand the evidence of coordinated… pic.twitter.com/xs4o1EqcZx

— Rep. Matt Gaetz (@RepMattGaetz) June 13, 2024

Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene shared CSPAN video of Garland objecting to the subpoena suggesting the subpoena was illegitimate with the comment, "Unelected Merrick Garland says the DOJ doesn’t have to obey Congressional subpoenas. Garland thinks he is above the law while he takes a tax payer funded paycheck. We are voting right now on Oversight to hold Merrick Garland in contempt of Congress."
 

Unelected Merrick Garland says the DOJ doesn’t have to obey Congressional subpoenas.

Garland thinks he is above the law while he takes a tax payer funded paycheck.

We are voting right now on Oversight to hold Merrick Garland in contempt of Congress.

pic.twitter.com/FfARgimJ6D

— Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene🇺🇸 (@RepMTG) May 17, 2024

In an op-ed in The Washington Post, Garland wrote, “We will not be intimidated. It is absurd and dangerous that public servants, many of whom risk their lives every day, are being threatened for simply doing their jobs and adhering to the principles that have long guided the Justice Department’s work.”

USA Today reported that Carlos Uriarte, an associate attorney general announced that the Justice Department's Office of Legal Counsel has opined that the Biden Administration's assertion of Executive Privilege over the recordings is legal and suggested Garland shouldn't be punished.