Attorney General Merrick Garland will not face prosecution for contempt of Congress, according to the Justice Department. This decision comes after Garland refused to provide audio recordings of President Joe Biden's interview in a classified documents case. The Justice Department stated that Garland's actions did not amount to a crime.
A letter was sent to Republican House Speaker Mike Johnson following the House's vote to hold Garland in contempt of Congress for his refusal to release the audio recordings. The White House intervened on the deadline day for compliance with the Republican subpoena, invoking executive privilege to block the release. The White House argued that the recordings were being sought by Republicans for political purposes.
It is a longstanding position of both major political parties that officials asserting a president's executive privilege cannot be prosecuted for contempt of Congress. This information was conveyed to Republicans by a Justice Department official last month.
The vote on the contempt resolution was split along party lines, with Republicans supporting the effort despite some reservations among centrist members of the party. Only one Republican, Rep. David Joyce of Ohio, voted against the resolution.
Garland becomes the third attorney general to be held in contempt of Congress. However, it was widely anticipated that the Justice Department, under Garland's oversight, would not pursue prosecution in this case.
