Wichita Standard

Rep. Ron Estes (R-Kansas) voted today to hold Attorney General Merrick Garland in contempt of Congress for not complying with congressional subpoenas. The resolution passed with a vote of 216 to 207.

“The Justice Department’s failure to comply with a lawfully issued subpoena flies in the face of the Constitution and the institutional power of the House of Representatives,” stated Rep. Estes. “Attorney General Merrick Garland is quite right to write, ‘our democracy cannot survive without a justice system that ensures the equal protection of law for all its citizens,’ and that is why the Judiciary Committee has requested the audio recordings of Special Counsel Robert Hur’s interviews with President Biden. Withholding these recordings and failing to comply with the subpoena thwarts the Committee’s legislative oversight work to determine if, in fact, the Justice Department is applying the law fairly and impartially. Rather than bemoan threats to democracy, AG Garland can engage in the democratic process by responding to the subpoena and coming before Congress.”

The Committee on the Judiciary and the Committee on Oversight and Accountability had issued subpoenas compelling Attorney General Garland to produce documents related to Special Counsel Robert Hur’s investigation, including audio recordings of interviews with President Biden and ghostwriter Mark Zwonitzer. The Attorney General has refused to provide these recordings. This resolution aims to uphold the institutional power of Congress by recommending that it find Attorney General Garland in contempt for non-compliance.

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