House Republicans have issued a subpoena to the Justice Department for materials related to special counsel Robert Hur’s investigation into President Biden’s handling of classified documents. The subpoena requests documents and communications related to interviews of Mr. Biden and his ghostwriter, Mark Zwonitzer, as well as a 2015 call between Mr. Biden and the Ukrainian prime minister. The investigation found evidence of mishandling of classified documents by Mr. Biden during his time as vice president, but no criminal charges were recommended. The materials are deemed “directly relevant” to the impeachment inquiry into Mr. Biden and oversight of the Justice Department by the Judiciary Committee.
Earlier this month, Republican chairmen of House committees requested the materials be handed over voluntarily by Feb. 19. The Justice Department responded on Feb. 16, indicating they were working to gather and process the documents but did not provide a timeframe for production. The subpoena, issued on Tuesday, directs the materials to be turned over by March 7, coinciding with the president’s State of the Union address and Hur’s scheduled testimony to the Judiciary Committee. The subpoena aims to determine if any limitations or restrictions were placed on the interviews that could implicate President Biden in foreign payments.
The Justice Department has declined to comment on the subpoena. House committees have been investigating Mr. Biden’s family’s foreign business dealings and allegations of bribery, but have not found evidence of wrongdoing by the president. The impeachment inquiry faced a setback when a key witness was charged with lying about the first family’s business dealings. The investigation is ongoing and the committees are continuing their efforts to uncover any potential misconduct by the president.
Caitlin Yilek, a politics reporter at cbsnews.com based in Washington, D.C., reported on the House Republicans’ subpoena of the Justice Department for materials related to the special counsel’s investigation into President Biden. Yilek previously worked for the Washington Examiner and The Hill, and was a member of the 2022 Paul Miller Washington Reporting Fellowship with the National Press Foundation. The subpoena and ongoing investigation into Mr. Biden’s handling of classified documents and potential links to foreign payments will be a key focus of the Judiciary Committee and the Republican-led oversight efforts in the coming weeks.
