The Department of Justice (DOJ) has not handed over the transcript of President Joe Biden’s interview with special counsel Robert Hur to the House Judiciary and Oversight Committees, as requested.
Despite the House Oversight Committee’s letter sent on February 12, providing a deadline of February 19 for the DOJ’s response, the requested materials, including the interview transcript and other report documents, have not been provided, according to sources from both committees.
The House committees are now considering their next steps as they await the DOJ’s compliance.
Special counsel Robert Hur released a report on February 8, detailing President Biden’s handling of classified documents. Although no charges were pursued against the president, the report highlighted concerns about Biden’s diminishing mental state. During the five-hour interview on October 8-9, Hur noted instances where Biden seemed to forget key details, such as the timeline of his vice presidency and the death of his son, Beau Biden.
The White House criticized the report, dismissing concerns about Biden’s memory and labeling the report as inaccurate.
In response to the report, President Biden addressed the media, blaming his staff for any mishandling of classified documents and denying responsibility for memory lapses. He vehemently refuted claims about his memory and expressed frustration with the report. Critics of the administration have urged the release of the full transcript, arguing that it could provide context and clarify any potential exaggerations in the report.
The White House has also faced allegations of pressuring the special counsel to remove passages related to Biden’s memory lapses.
As the House committees await the DOJ’s compliance with their request, the standoff over the interview transcript adds another layer of contention surrounding the investigation into President Biden’s handling of classified information and questions about his cognitive abilities.
