Special Counsel Robert Hur conducted a yearlong probe into President Joe Biden’s handling of classified documents. On Tuesday, he was questioned by members of the House Judiciary Committee.
Hur, who was previously nominated by then-President Donald Trump as U.S. attorney for the District of Maryland, wrote in his 388-page report last month that he would not recommend charges against President Biden despite uncovering evidence that Biden “willfully retained” classified materials.
In explaining his rationale for that conclusion, Hur mentioned that a potential jury would likely perceive Biden as a “sympathetic, well-meaning, elderly man with a poor memory.”
Committee Chairman Jim Jordan pounded his gavel shortly before 3 p.m. ET, signaling an end to Robert Hur’s testimony after nearly five hours at the witness table. Hur departed the hearing room after withstanding pointed attacks from across the political spectrum.
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Democrats accused him of including gratuitous language about Biden’s mental acuity, while Republicans slammed his decision not to bring criminal charges. Despite growing animated at times as he defended his work, Hur remained measured and disciplined throughout his testimony.
Former special counsel Robert Hur declined to provide a direct answer. Republican committee Chairman Jim Jordan pressed him about Congress’s access to audio recordings related to his report.
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Jordan asked if there was any reason why the American people and their representatives in the United States Congress should not have access to those tapes. Hur declined to provide a direct answer to Jordan’s question.
Instead, he stated that his report considered the audio recordings. Given the nature of Jordan’s question, the specific recordings referenced by Hur were unclear. It could have pertained to audio recordings of Biden’s interview with Hur or conversations with his ghostwriter.
“Chairman, what I can tell you is that my assessment that went into my conclusions that I described, my report was not based solely on the transcript, it was based on all of the evidence, including the audio recordings,” Hur said.
Jordan reiterated his question to Hur, emphasizing the potential value of the audio recordings as evidence. He suggested that Congress should have access to the recordings if they were deemed valuable for Hur’s report.
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“It is not for me to weigh into what information Congress should or should not have,” replied Hur, while reiterating that he believed “the audio recordings were part of the evidence, of course, that I considered in coming to my conclusions.”
Hur disagreed with Democrats’ portrayal of his report as clearing President Biden of criminal wrongdoing, stating that he “did not exonerate him.” Rep. Pramila Jayapal, D-Wash., characterized the investigation as resulting in a “complete exoneration” of Biden.
However, Hur corrected her, stating that he did not use the word “exoneration” in his report and that it was not part of his task. Despite Jayapal’s argument, Hur reiterated that he did not exonerate Biden and that the word did not appear in his report.
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