DOJ Declines to Prosecute Attorney General Merrick Garland Following House Contempt Vote

US Attorney General Merrick Garland attends a meeting on January 22 in Washington, DC. Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images

The Department of Justice (DOJ) announced on Friday that it would not pursue the House's contempt referral against Attorney General Merrick Garland.

In a formal communication to House Speaker Mike Johnson, the DOJ highlighted its established practice of not prosecuting executive branch officials who refuse to provide information protected by executive privilege to Congress.

This announcement came after the House, in a predominantly party-line vote, held Garland in contempt for his refusal to hand over audio recordings from President Joe Biden's interview related to Special Counsel Robert Hur's investigation into classified documents.

In the letter, the DOJ's top congressional liaison explained, "Consistent with this longstanding position and uniform practice, the Department has determined that the responses by Attorney General Garland to the subpoenas issued by the Committees did not constitute a crime, and accordingly the Department will not bring the congressional contempt citation before a grand jury or take any other action to prosecute the Attorney General."

The decision was largely expected given the precedent and the DOJ's consistent approach in similar situations. The contention arose from Garland's refusal to comply with the House's demands for specific evidence in the ongoing investigation, which he argued was shielded by executive privilege.

Source: CNN