House Speaker Mike Johnson vows to hold Attorney General Merrick Garland accountable in federal court for refusing to hand over audio tapes of special counsel's interview with President Biden.
House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) has announced that House Republicans will file a lawsuit next week to force the Department of Justice (DOJ) to hand over audio tapes of special counsel Robert Hur's interview with President Biden. The move comes after Attorney General Merrick Garland refused the House GOP investigators' subpoena for the tapes, citing Biden's claim of executive privilege.
"We are going to file a suit next week against the – against the Department of Justice to enforce that subpoena. We'll go to district court here in D.C., which is the appropriate venue, and we will fight vigorously to get it," Johnson told reporters at his regular press conference.
House Republicans Set to Sue DOJ Over Garland's Subpoena Refusal
Republicans are seeking the audio recordings, arguing that they would provide critical context about Biden's state of mind regarding his handling of classified documents. Democrats, however, have dismissed the request as a partisan attempt to politicize the DOJ.
Garland's refusal to comply with the subpoena spurred House Republicans to hold him in contempt earlier this month, referring Garland to his own department for criminal charges. However, the DOJ ultimately declined to prosecute.
House Republicans Set to Sue DOJ Over Garland's Subpoena Refusal
Johnson's fresh threat comes as Rep. Anna Paulina Luna (R-Fla.) prepares to force a vote on her own "inherent contempt" resolution against Garland. This little-used congressional procedure would direct the Sergeant-at-Arms to detain Garland for a trial by the House itself.
The measure has not been used since the 1930s and has never been used on a Cabinet official. When asked about Luna's plan during his press conference, Johnson said, "I've talked to Anna Paulina Luna and other colleagues about various ideas, but I don't think anything's been settled on as of yet."
House Republicans Set to Sue DOJ Over Garland's Subpoena Refusal
The DOJ declined to comment on Johnson's remarks when reached by Fox News Digital.
The subpoena battle is part of a broader investigation by House Republicans into the Biden administration's handling of classified documents. The investigation has also targeted the appointment of special counsel Jack Smith to investigate the matter.
House Republicans Set to Sue DOJ Over Garland's Subpoena Refusal
Johnson has previously called for Smith's office to be defunded, arguing that it is a "political hit job" against former President Donald Trump.
The ongoing legal and political battles over the Biden documents and the special counsel investigation are expected to continue in the coming weeks and months.
