Staff Reports
The recent news about President Biden using executive privilege to stop the release of recordings from his interviews with special counsel Robert Hur has sparked controversy. Some experts say this move is similar to what former President Trump did during his time in office. It’s like a déjà vu, but with different players now.
It’s important to protect law enforcement files, and that’s what Attorney General Merrick Garland mentioned. The White House decided to invoke executive privilege to keep the recordings private, even though transcripts of Biden’s interview were already shared with a committee. This decision is causing a stir, as it recalls actions taken during the Trump administration.
One legal expert, Andrew McCarthy, pointed out that during the Mueller investigation, Trump allowed extensive interviews with White House counsel Don McGahn, who also took detailed notes. However, when Democrats wanted to call McGahn to testify before Congress, Republicans opposed it, citing executive privilege.
Executive privilege has been around since the country’s beginning and shields internal discussions and documents within the executive branch from outside scrutiny. It allows the president some time to discuss matters with advisors before revealing them. Congress does have methods like holding individuals in contempt to extract information from the executive branch.
McCarthy warned that if the president’s party has enough power in Congress, efforts to compel information may be challenging. He noted that for Biden, the decision to withhold the recordings suggests that the content could be damaging if made public. In the end, it seems like a political calculation on whether to disclose or withhold the information.
