The House Judiciary Committee is expected to decide later this week whether to charge President Joe Biden’s ghostwriter, Mark Zwonitzer, with contempt of Congress for failing to comply with a congressional subpoena.
In March, the committee subpoenaed Zwonitzer, seeking audio recordings and transcripts of conversations with Biden, with whom Biden reportedly illegally shared classified information after leaving the vice presidency. town hall.
Rep. Jim Jordan (R-Ohio) report On Tuesday, the lower house recommended that Zvonitser be charged with contempt of parliament.
“Several weeks after the release of Special Counsel Robert K. Hur’s report on February 5, 2024, the Judiciary Committee (the “Committee”) worked with Mark Zwonitzer to obtain limited documents and records related to Special Counsel Hur’s report,” the report states. “Zwonitzer served as a ghostwriter for President Joe Biden’s memoir, and Special Counsel Hur’s report revealed that Zwonitzer was in possession of records useful for potential legislative reform.”
The report noted that the subpoena was issued after Zvonitser refused in March to “provide relevant documents and records” to the committee.
“After Zwonitzer refused to provide relevant documents and records, the Committee issued a subpoena to Zwonitzer on March 22, 2024, to compel him to produce six specific categories of documents and records, including audio recordings and transcripts of interviews related to his work as a ghostwriter for President Joe Biden’s memoir. Promise me, Dad. and Promises to keep“,” the report states.
🚨 #breaking news: Jim Jordan House releases report recommending contempt of Congress charges against Joe Biden ghostwriter Mark Zwonitzer pic.twitter.com/lNRYd4ehK2
— House Judiciary Committee Republicans 🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸 (@JudiciaryGOP) June 25, 2024
“The Committee subpoenaed these materials for a number of reasons, including to determine whether legislation is needed to codify procedures that provide clear statutory guidelines for the handling, storage and disclosure of classified materials, or whether criminal penalties for the unauthorized distribution or disclosure of classified materials should be changed,” the report added. “To date, Zvonitser has refused to produce the requested documents and materials.”
In February, Biden Questioned During a White House briefing, he explained why he shared classified information with the ghostwriter.
“Mr. President, why did you give classified information to a ghostwriter?” a reporter asked.
“I haven’t shared any classified information. I haven’t shared any,” Biden responded.
The reporter then asked, “With a ghostwriter?”
“I didn’t hire a ghostwriter,” Biden responded. “I guarantee you, I didn’t.”
At a House Judiciary Committee meeting in March, Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-Fla.) questioned Special Counsel Robert Hur about Biden’s comments, and Hur acknowledged that Biden’s statements were “inconsistent with our findings.”
Gaetz also criticized why Zwonitzer was not charged with obstruction of justice despite his admission that he deleted recordings of his conversations with Biden.
This comes after Attorney General Merrick Garland was found in contempt of Congress for failing to comply with congressional subpoenas, after which the Department of Justice announced it would decline to prosecute him.
