Among the many moments that stood out in the testimony of former special counsel Robert Hur was the admission that the White House had asked for “certain edits and changes” in his draft report on President Joe Biden.
The lawyer appointed by Attorney General Merrick Garland to investigate the president’s mishandling of classified documents spoke with lawmakers before the House Judiciary Committee on Tuesday, defending his decision not to press charges against Biden despite his findings because of age and “poor memory.”
But when asked directly by Judiciary Committee Chairman Jim Jordan (R-Ohio) about the role the White House played in his draft report, Hur revealed that there was, indeed, an effort to get him to “revisit” his descriptions.
Confirmed once again, we are a BANANA REPUBLIC on steroids !!! 👇🔥 Jim Jordan: Did the White House get the report changed?
Special counsel Robert Hur: “Yes. They did request certain edits and changes to the draft report.” pic.twitter.com/ygidlup2fO
— VeBee🇺🇸✝️ (@VeBo1991) March 12, 2024
“Did the White House try to weigh in with your investigation on elements of that report and frankly try to get that report changed?” Jordan asked.
“They did request certain edits and changes to the draft report,” Hur replied.
The reference was to a letter from Biden’s personal lawyer Bob Bauer and White House Counsel Richard Sauber to Hur effectively asking for the president’s memory issues to be covered up.
“We request that you revisit your descriptions of President Biden’s memory and revise them so that they are stated in a manner that is within the bounds of your expertise and remit,” the Feb. 5 letter reportedly stated.
Rep. Tom Tiffany (R., Wisc.) also asked Hur about the request.
Robert Hur CONFIRMS that Joe Biden’s White House lawyers pressured the DOJ to change the Hur report.
White House lawyers specifically requested for the DOJ to remove the portions regarding Biden’s poor memory.
MUST WATCH! ⬇️ pic.twitter.com/a2rF8xKHVr
— Rep. Tom Tiffany (@RepTiffany) March 12, 2024
“So is it correct that February 5th letter that was sent to you asking you to change references to the president’s poor memory — wasn’t there a request by the White House to do that?” the congressman asked.
“There was a request, yes,” Hur confirmed.
Hur just contradicted the claims of Democratic members that Biden and the White House did not try to change his report or remove material. He confirmed that the White House made multiple such objections to Attorney General Garland and did send such a letter seeking changes.
— Jonathan Turley (@JonathanTurley) March 12, 2024
In another letter, dated Feb. 7, Sauber wrote to Garland and accused Hur of having “violate[d] Department of Justice policy and practice by pejoratively characterizing uncharged conduct.”
“The Special Counsel can certainly and properly note that the President lacked memory of a specific fact or series of events,” Sauber wrote. “But his report goes further to include allegations that the President has a failing memory in a general sense, an allegation that has no law enforcement purpose.”
Hur’s revelations came after Rep. Jamie Raskin, D-Md., had boasted that the president did not “seek to redact a single word of Mr. Hur’s report.”
“The report thus demonstrates President Biden’s complete devotion to the rule of law, and his respect for a fair and independent Department of Justice,” the House Oversight Committee ranking member had said.
“The report thus demonstrates President Biden’s complete devotion to the rule of law, and his respect for a fair and independent Department of Justice,” Raskin said. “President Biden did not assert executive privilege or claim absolute immunity for presidential crimes. He did not hide boxes of documents under his bed nor in a bathtub. He did not fight investigators, nor did he seek to redact a single word of Mr. Hur’s report.”
