Last week, House Republicans took decisive action by advancing a resolution aimed at holding President Joe Biden’s ghostwriter in contempt of Congress. The escalation followed Mark Zwonitzer’s refusal to comply with requests for records pertaining to the special counsel’s investigation into Biden’s handling of classified documents.
The House Judiciary Committee, in a party-line vote, recommended contempt charges against Zwonitzer, who had collaborated closely with Biden on his memoirs, thereby gaining access to sensitive classified material.
Committee Chair Republican Rep. Jim Jordan issued a subpoena to Zwonitzer in March after he rebuffed requests to voluntarily provide documents, including audio recordings, videos, and transcripts of his interviews with Biden for the books “Promises to Keep” (2007) and “Promise Me, Dad” (2017).
According to the resolution, Zwonitzer continues to withhold crucial documents essential for the Committee’s understanding of Biden’s handling and disclosure of classified materials, as well as Zwonitzer’s handling of such materials.
This latest move is part of ongoing efforts by Republicans to uphold accountability and challenge what they see as potential misconduct within the Biden administration. Earlier this month, Republicans raised the stakes further by voting to hold Attorney General Merrick Garland in contempt. The contentious issue centered on Garland’s refusal to release audio recordings from Biden’s special counsel interview, a decision backed by the White House citing executive privilege.
Republicans argued passionately that access to these recordings is vital for transparency and ensuring the integrity of the special counsel investigation. They accused the Biden administration of invoking executive privilege as a shield to obstruct legitimate congressional oversight, asserting that the real motive behind withholding the recordings was to evade potential political repercussions.
In response, White House counsel Ed Siskel condemned Republicans for politicizing governmental processes and targeting a private citizen without proper engagement with the Executive Branch. He criticized their actions as an abuse of oversight authority rather than a genuine pursuit of justice.
The Republican-led investigation was sparked by a February report from special counsel Robert Hur, which scrutinized Biden’s handling of classified material discovered at his former residences. Hur highlighted instances where Biden shared classified information with Zwonitzer during their collaboration on his second book. While Hur elected not to pursue criminal charges against Biden, he considered obstruction charges against Zwonitzer. The ghostwriter conveniently hit delete on recordings of interviews he did with Biden for their second memoir once the heat from the document investigation turned up.
Despite recovering most of the available recordings, Republicans argue for continued scrutiny of Zwonitzer’s access to classified materials and advocate for potential reforms in legislative protocols governing executive-branch document handling.
The investigation also continues to probe elements of Hur’s report that raise concerns about Biden’s competence and memory, which are critical factors as he prepares for re-election against former President Donald Trump.
During hearings, Jordan underscored the necessity of accessing audio recordings and transcripts to gauge Biden’s mental acuity and decision-making accurately.
In contrast, Democrats criticized the contempt proceedings as a partisan abuse of oversight authority, characterizing them as a diversionary tactic to detract attention from Trump’s own legal challenges related to classified documents at his Florida club post-presidency.
Rep. Jerry Nadler scoffed at the proceedings, calling them a desperate ploy by “MAGA Republicans” to strong-arm a private citizen into spilling Biden’s tea. Funny how Democrats suddenly forget their own tactics, like sending the IRS to Matthew Taibbi’s doorstep just last year when he dared to testify about the infamous Twitter Files.
The Democrats highlighted Biden and Trump’s contrasting approaches to handling classified materials. Biden returned documents promptly and cooperated fully with investigations, whereas Trump faces criminal charges for alleged efforts to conceal documents and obstruct investigations.
And as the dust settles, Republicans continue their quest to unravel Biden’s paper trail like it’s a suspense thriller. Will Zwonitzer cough up the goods? Will Biden’s memory hold up under scrutiny?
