Let’s delve into some heated drama from CNN, where anchor Jake Tapper recently called out the U.S. Department of Justice for withholding crucial audio tapes from Congress. These tapes involve Special Counsel Robert Hur’s interview with President Joe Biden, and Tapper isn’t holding back on his criticism. Let’s break down what’s going on!
Tapper’s comments came during a contentious exchange with Rep. Dan Goldman, a Democrat from New York. Goldman argued that Republican efforts to hold Attorney General Merrick Garland in contempt of Congress for not releasing the audio tapes were merely political maneuvers to damage President Biden and bolster former President Trump. But Tapper had a different view, insisting there’s no valid reason for the DOJ to withhold the recordings from Congress.
“But there’s really no basis for the Justice Department to not give the audio recordings to Congress either,” Tapper told Goldman in a CNN clip.
This debate is part of a broader saga surrounding the Hur report. Special Counsel Robert Hur was appointed to investigate President Biden’s alleged mishandling of classified documents. The report, which found evidence of improper handling but declined to recommend charges due to Biden’s age and cognitive state, caused quite a stir in political circles and renewed concerns about Biden’s mental fitness.
Even though the transcripts of Biden’s interview have been made public, the DOJ is standing firm on keeping the audio tapes under wraps. Their reasoning? In a recent court filing, they cited advancements in audio, artificial intelligence, and deep fake technologies as potential threats to the integrity of the recordings and sources of misinformation.
This week, the Republican-led House took action, voting to hold Garland in contempt of Congress for continuing to withhold the audio. During his interview on CNN, Goldman lambasted this move, describing it as another attempt by Republicans to undermine the institution of Congress. He pointed out that contempt of Congress is a serious charge, noting previous high-profile cases involving Peter Navarro and Steve Bannon during the Trump administration.
“There is no legitimate legislative purpose for them to obtain the audio recording because they’re not prosecuting him, they’re not trying to determine whether to prosecute him, and there’s no legislation they can identify, there’s no oversight they can identify that points to why they need the audio recording,” Goldman said.
Goldman defended the DOJ’s decision to withhold the audio, arguing that the provided transcripts should suffice. He claimed there’s no legitimate legislative purpose for obtaining the audio since Congress isn’t prosecuting Biden or crafting relevant legislation. According to Goldman, the real motive behind the push for the audio tapes is to aid Trump in his campaign by twisting the recordings for political gain.
“And what they really want to do is release it to help Donald Trump misconstrue these recordings, use them during the campaign, and this is not a legitimate purpose,” he said, stating that the DOJ has gone “beyond the call of duty” in its cooperation with Congress so far.
Despite Goldman’s defense, Tapper emphasized a broader issue: the recurring clash between the legislative and executive branches. He highlighted that three of the past five attorneys general have been found in contempt of Congress, suggesting a pattern where the executive branch repeatedly defies legislative oversight.
