Special counsel Robert Hur said on Tuesday that the White House tried to force him to modify parts of his report on President Biden's mishandling of classified documents.
During Hur's testimony before the House Judiciary Committee, Rep. Tom Tiffany, R-Wis., asked Hur about a letter from the White House Counsel sent to Hur before his report was made public. Tiffany questioned whether the White House asked him to change the references to the president's poor memory in the report, and Hur confirmed that they did make such a request.
Hur contradicted Rep. Jamie Raskin, D-Md., by stating that there was indeed a request from the White House, despite earlier claims made during the hearing. asserted Regarding Biden's involvement, Hur confirmed to committee chair Rep. Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, that the White House did try to intervene and make edits to the draft report.
Hur also confirmed this during an earlier exchange with committee chair Rep. Jim Jordan, R-Ohio.
Jordan asked Hur if the White House attempted to influence his investigation and alter the report, to which Hur responded that they did request certain edits and changes to the draft report. askedAs The Federalist's Tristan Justice noted, Hur concluded that his investigation did not warrant any criminal charges in relation to Biden's mishandling of classified materials, despite finding records related to foreign policy in Afghanistan and handwritten notes implicating sensitive intelligence.
Based on their direct interactions and observations of Biden, prosecutors wrote that it would be difficult to convince a jury to convict him of a serious felony due to his well-meaning, elderly persona with a poor memory. reportedHur also confirmed during his testimony that the White House objected to the special counsel report's analysis of Biden's mental decline, and his team detailed instances in the report where Biden struggled to recall basic facts during his interview with investigators.
The pressure from the White House to alter the report before its public release is similar to the obstruction of justice charge that Democrats accused former President Trump of, in relation to Robert Mueller's investigation into whether Trump colluded with Russia in the 2016 election.
Hur also confirmed during his testimony that the White House sent a letter to Attorney General Merrick Garland objecting to the special counsel report's analysis of Biden's mental decline. Hur's team highlighted instances in the report where Biden had trouble recalling basic facts during his interview with investigators. letter The White House's attempt to pressure Hur into altering his report appears to fit within the obstruction of justice charge that Democrats accused former President Trump of, in connection to Robert Mueller's investigation into whether Trump colluded with Russia in the 2016 election. noted Special counsel Robert Hur testified on Tuesday that the White House tried to influence and make revisions to his report on President Biden's mishandling of classified documents. This revelation came during Hur's testimony before the House Judiciary Committee, in which Rep. Tom Tiffany, R-Wis., questioned Hur about a letter from the White House Counsel sent to Hur before his report became public. Tiffany inquired whether the White House requested changes to the report's references to the president's poor memory, and Hur confirmed that they did make such a request.
The White House's attempt to pressure Hur into altering his report before its release to the public seems to fall within the obstruction of justice charge that Democrats accused former President Trump of committing, in relation to Robert Mueller's investigation into whether the Republican president colluded with Russia in the 2016 election. accusing The accusation that Trump obstructed Mueller's investigation did not deter Democrats from accusing the former president of obstruction or then-Attorney General Bill Barr of preventing such charges from being filed.
