Staff Reports
In a very close vote, the House has decided to hold Attorney General Merrick Garland in criminal contempt of Congress, which is a big deal. This shows how tension between congressional Republicans and the Justice Department is getting more serious. Garland is now one of the very few attorneys general in the history of America to face this kind of punishment.
The main problem is that the Justice Department doesn’t want to give out audio tapes involving Joe Biden and classified papers. Some Republicans, like Jim Jordan and James Comer, believe that the Justice Department should not be allowed to keep this information from Congress. They think this is a good reason to call it contempt.
House holds Merrick Garland in criminal contempt.
The vote was 208-207.pic.twitter.com/1VU8byGX2u
— Citizen Free Press (@CitizenFreePres) June 12, 2024
The subpoena is part of an effort to find out what was said in interviews about whether Biden did anything wrong with classified papers. Even though the investigation said Biden did not break any laws, Republicans still want to keep looking into it. They are not happy with how the Justice Department, led by Garland, is handling the situation.
This vote for contempt has been on the horizon since last month when two committees said Garland should be punished. Even though the vote happened, Garland will probably not face any real consequences since the decision would have to come from his own office.
This situation does not look good for Garland. Even if nothing happens to him legally, being held in contempt is a stain on his reputation as Attorney General. This could affect how well he does his job and how he is remembered in the future. It’s rare for officials, especially former Attorneys General, to be in this kind of trouble.
The news shows a growing divide between Republicans and the Justice Department about transparency and accountability. It’s important for the government to be open and honest with the people it serves. This case involving Biden and classified papers brings up questions about how much power the government should have to investigate its own citizens.
