WASHINGTON (NEXSTAR)-- The GOP-led House Judiciary Committee filed a lawsuit against Attorney General Merrick Garland, on Monday, urging a court to force Garland to release audio recordings of President Biden’s interview with Special Counsel Robert Hur’s office and a ghost writer for his book.
House Republicans have called on Garland to release the audio tapes since February of this year, though President Joe Biden invoked executive privilege.
The Department of Justice did release the transcripts of Biden’s interviews.
“Audio recordings are better evidence than transcripts of what happened during the Special Counsel’s interviews with President Biden and Mr. Zwonitzer,” the complaint argued.
House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) said Biden’s debate performance on Thursday highlighted the importance of the release of the audio tapes.
Hur’s report said Biden presented himself during the interview as “a sympathetic, well-meaning, elderly man with a poor memory.”
“He will very likely sound exactly on that tape as he did on the stage last night,” Johnson said on Friday.
The lawsuit claims the administration’s privilege claim is “frivolous” and said it lacks merit. The complaint said the Biden administration was trying to expand the scope of executive privilege.
A Department of Justice spokesperson said the Department “is reviewing the lawsuit and will respond in court at the appropriate time.”
Johnson tweeted on Monday urging the Department of Justice to hand over the tapes to Congress.