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U.S. NEWS Tuesday 9 april 2024
Justice Department blasts GOP effort to hold Attorney General

Garland in contempt over Biden audio

By FARNOUSH AMIRI for more than four hours by
Associated Press both Democratic and Re-
WASHINGTON (AP) — The publican lawmakers.
Justice Department on Mon- “What I wrote is what I be-
day blasted Republicans’ lieve the evidence shows,
effort to hold Attorney Gen- and what I expect jurors
eral Merrick Garland in con- would perceive and be-
tempt over his refusal to turn lieve,” Hur told lawmakers.
over unredacted materials “I did not sanitize my expla-
related to the special coun- nation. Nor did I disparage
sel probe into President Joe the president unfairly.”
Biden’s handling of classified If GOP lawmakers follow
documents. through with their threat to
In a letter obtained by The hold Garland in contempt,
Associated Press, the Justice it would require majority sup-
Department rejected the port in committee and then
demand from House Repub- the support of the full House
licans that the agency turn before a referral would be
over the full audio of Special sent to the Justice Depart-
Counsel Robert Hur’s hours- ment. It is unlikely that the
long interviews with Biden department that Garland
and his ghostwriter. Repub- heads would take up a
licans had given the Justice referral to investigate the
Department until Monday to Attorney General Merrick Garland speaks during a news conference at Department of Justice Cabinet official.
provide the audio. headquarters in Washington, March 21, 2024. Associated Press The last time such an effort
Assistant Attorney General was successful was in 2012
Carlos Uriarte, the Justice duct,” Uriarte wrote. “We where Biden would have to ing the improper retention when a Republican-con-
Department’s head of con- are therefore concerned exert executive privilege to of classified documents trolled House voted to make
gressional affairs, said in the that the Committees are halt the release of the audio by Biden, from his time then-Attorney General Eric
letter to Reps. James Comer disappointed not because recording to Congress. as a senator and as vice Holder the first sitting Cabi-
and Jim Jordan that despite you didn’t receive informa- The maneuvering could also president. The result was a net member to be held in
GOP claims to the contrary, tion, but because you did.” delay the release of any au- 345-page report that ques- contempt of Congress for
the department has com- He added, “We urge the dio until after the November tioned Biden’s age and refusing to turn over docu-
plied with each of the four Committees to avoid con- election. mental competence but ments in the gun-running
elements of the subpoena flict rather than seek it.” The letter is just the latest recommended no criminal operation known as Opera-
that House Republicans sent The pushback from the de- flashpoint between Repub- charges for the 81-year-old tion Fast and Furious. At the
in February. partment and the seeming licans investigating Biden president, finding insufficient time, Republicans cited the
“The Committees’ reac- unwillingness to provide the and the Justice Department evidence to make a case Justice Department’s failure
tion is difficult to explain in audio could trigger a legal tasked with overseeing a stand up in court. to turn over, without any pre-
terms of any lack of infor- battle between the White myriad of politically fraught Last month, Hur stood by conditions, documents re-
mation or frustration of any House and the GOP chair- federal probes, including the assessment made in his lated to the risky operation.
informational or investiga- men leading the contempt one into the president’s son, report in testimony before The Justice Department took
tive imperative, given the effort on Capitol Hill, poten- Hunter Biden. the House Judiciary Com- no action to prosecute the
Department’s actual con- tially setting up a scenario Hur spent a year investigat- mittee, where he was grilled attorney general.q

A man accused of setting a fire outside Bernie
Sanders’ office stayed at an area hotel for weeks

By LISA RATHKE dumping a liquid on the of a canister of lighter fluid
Associated Press bottom of the door and and a red cap on the floor
The man charged with set- setting it afire with a lighter, near the office door.
ting a fire outside the Ver- according to the special Soghomonian was arrest-
mont office of U.S. Sen. agent with the Bureau of ed Sunday on a charge
Bernie Sanders had been Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms of using fire to damage a
staying at an area hotel for and Explosives. The build- building used in interstate
nearly two months and was ing's interior suffered some commerce, according to
spotted outside Sanders' damage from the fire and the U.S. attorney for Ver-
office the day before and sprinklers that doused the mont. He had been staying
the day of the fire, accord- area with water, but no one at the Inn at Burlington in Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., addresses union workers in downtown
ing to court paperwork filed was hurt. Sanders, an inde- South Burlington for several Los Angeles on Friday, April 5, 2024.
by a federal agent. pendent, was not in the weeks, an employee told Associated Press
Shant Michael Soghomoni- office at the time. Seven authorities, according to to search the hotel room tempted to open the door
an, 35, who was previously employees working in the the affidavit. and a vehicle with New but it was blocked, accord-
from Northridge, California, office at the time were un- When police knocked on York plates. Officers then ing to the court document.
entered the building on harmed and able to evac- the hotel room door, they heard what sounded like They forced the door open
Friday and went to Sand- uate.The agent who inves- heard a male saying he the man dragging heavy and arrested Soghomo-
ers' third-floor office where tigated spotted what ap- was getting dressed, ac- items near the door. Of- nian without incident, they
security video showed him peared to be the remains cording to an application ficers got a key and at- said.q