The House of Representatives voted Thursday to reject a resolution holding Attorney General Merrick Garland in “inherent contempt” for his refusal to turn over the audio from President Joe Biden’s (D) interviews with special prosecutor Robert Hur, as well as impose a $10,000 per day fine.
The federal investigation into President Biden’s alleged mishandling of classified information — from which these tapes were a part — ended last year with no formal charges being filed, due in part to Hur’s assertion that a jury would likely view the president as a “sympathetic, well-meaning elderly man with a poor memory.”
Had this resolution been approved, it would open the door for Attorney General Garland to potentially be arrested despite the Justice Department’s previous refusal to prosecute, citing its longstanding policy of not pursuing charges against those who hold that office.
According to a report published by the Congressional Research Service (CRS), inherent contempt “permits Congress to rely on its own constitutional authority to detain and imprison a contemnor until the individual complies with congressional demands.”
This resolution — introduced by Rep. Anna Paulina Luna (R-FL) — failed to pass in a nearly party line vote of 204-210.
All 206 Democrat representatives that participated in the vote expressed opposition to the resolution, alongside four Republicans: Rep. John S. Duarte (R-CA), Rep. David P. Joyce (R-OH), Rep. Tom McClintock (R-CA), and Rep. Michael R. Turner (R-OH).
Twelve Republicans were absent at the time this vote was taken.
Both Rep. Jared Golden (D) and Rep. Chellie Pingree (D) were among the representatives to vote in opposition to the measure.
Click Here for More Information on the Vote
According to ABC News, House Republican leadership urged Rep. Luna to avoid bringing the resolution up for a vote this week.
“Today’s vote on my inherent contempt resolution and the legislative appropriations bill did not pass due to some Republican absences,” Luna wrote in a statement on X. “An overwhelming majority of the party supports this resolution, and it already survived multiple kill-shot attempts by Democrats.”
“Our efforts have not been futile, and I thank all the Members who have been fighting alongside me to restore justice and order in our institutions,” she continued. “I have refiled the resolution and will be calling it up again in a couple of weeks when Congress is back in session and Members return.”
“Attorney General Merrick Garland will pay and be held accountable for trying to undermine our institutions,” Luna concluded. “No one is above the law.”
BREAKING: Rep. Luna Refiles Inherent Contempt Resolution Against AG Merrick Garland
— Rep. Anna Paulina Luna (@RepLuna) July 11, 2024
"Today’s vote on my inherent contempt resolution and the legislative appropriations bill did not pass due to some Republican absences. An overwhelming majority of the party supports this… pic.twitter.com/Hs3CFij4NZ
Earlier this summer, Garland became the third attorney general in United States history to be held in contempt of Congress after lawmakers in the House successfully approved a resolution doing so for his failure to comply with their subpoena for the Hur-Biden audio.
[RELATED: House Holds AG Merrick Garland in Contempt for Refusing to Turn Over Audio of Hur-Biden Interviews]
Because Biden has asserted executive privilege over these recordings, however, experts speculated that any further criminal action against Garland was unlikely.
Despite this, the resolution included a referral to the U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia for criminal prosecution.
Shortly thereafter, House Republicans filed a lawsuit against Garland in another effort to force him to turn over the audio files for these interviews.
Garland, Mayorkas and Cheatle are responsible for protecting Candidate Trump.
But they will NEVER be held accountable.
There is no accountablity for Democrats!
Isn’t it strange that the Biden crime family and all supporters are simply “above the law” and not subject to repercussions?