Press Releases

Speaker Johnson Statement on Holding Attorney General Merrick Garland in Contempt of Congress

Washington, June 12, 2024

WASHINGTON — Speaker Johnson released the following statement after the House voted to hold Attorney General Merrick Garland in contempt of Congress for refusing to comply with lawful Congressional subpoenas.

“Today, the House took a significant step in maintaining the integrity of our oversight processes and responsibilities by holding Attorney General Garland in contempt of Congress. This decision was not made lightly but is essential to ensure transparency and accountability within the Special Counsel’s office. 

“It is up to Congress – not the Executive Branch – to determine what materials it needs to conduct its own investigations, and there are consequences for refusing to comply with lawful Congressional subpoenas. Congress has a responsibility to conduct oversight of the Special Counsel’s work and specifically Special Counsel Hur’s determination not to prosecute President Biden for the clear violation of the law.

“The Committees need the audio tapes to verify the accuracy of the written transcripts given this White House has been known to heavily edit the President’s statements. This is a simple matter – we have the transcript, and we need the audio.”

Background: 

  • The House Committees on Oversight and Accountability and Judiciary issued subpoenas to Attorney General Garland on February 27, 2024 for records, including transcripts, notes, video, and audio files, related to Special Counsel Robert Hur’s investigation of President Joe Biden’s willful mishandling of classified information.
  • Attorney General Garland has refused to provide the audio files of President Biden’s interview with the Special Counsel.
  • On May 16, 2024, President Biden asserted executive privilege over the recordings ahead of the markup of the contempt resolutions in the Judiciary and Oversight Committees.
  • The resolution finds Attorney General Merrick Garland in criminal contempt under 2 U.S.C. 192 and 194 and authorizes the Speaker to take all appropriate action to enforce the subpoena, including filing suit in civil court.
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