Former special counsel Robert Hur has testified before the House Judiciary Committee regarding his investigation into President Biden’s handling of classified documents. His testimony on Tuesday will be his first public address since the release of his report, which did not recommend criminal charges but raised questions about President Biden’s conduct.
Hur had concluded in his report last month that “the evidence does not establish Mr. Biden’s guilt beyond a reasonable doubt” and that the President’s prosecution is “unwarranted based on our consideration of the aggravating and mitigating factors.”
The report also included remarks about the president’s memory, which the White House has strongly contested.
“There’s some attention paid about my recollection of events.” President Biden said in a statement last month. “There’s even a reference that I don’t remember when my son died. How in the hell dare he raise that? Frankly, when I was asked the question, I thought to myself it wasn’t any of their damn business. I don’t need anyone to tell me when he passed away.”
Robert Hur, who served as a U.S. attorney and top Justice Department official under the Trump administration, was appointed special counsel by Attorney General Merrick Garland. His tenure at the Justice Department concluded following the filing of the report.
House Republicans, who control the committee, have scrutinized what they perceive as double standard in the Justice Department’s treatment of President Biden compared to former President Donald Trump, who faced charges for allegedly mishandling classified documents.
According to The Associated Press, Robert Hur defended the integrity of the investigation and report. He said,
“My assessment in the report about the relevance of the President’s memory was necessary and accurate and fair.”
He further reiterated that the evidence did not meet the threshold for criminal charges, explaining the necessity to clarify in the report why charges against President Biden were not pursued.
“What I wrote is what I believe the evidence shows, and what I expect jurors would perceive and believe. I did not sanitize my explanation. Nor did I disparage the President unfairly. I explained to the attorney general my decision and the reasons for it. That’s what I was required to do.”
