House Judiciary Committee Chair Jim Jordan (R-Ohio) and House Oversight and Accountability Committee Chair James Comer (R-Ky.) have issued a threat to hold Attorney General Merrick Garland in contempt of Congress if he fails to provide materials related to the investigation into President Biden's handling of classified documents. The threat comes nearly a month after the Republican chairs issued a subpoena for information regarding the probe conducted by special counsel Robert Hur.

In a letter obtained by The Hill on Monday, Jordan and Comer expressed dissatisfaction with the "insufficient production" of materials provided by Garland and warned of potential contempt proceedings if the rest of the information is not provided by April 8, 2024. The chairs specifically mentioned their demand for the audio recordings of Hur's interviews with Biden and the transcript and audio recordings of interviews with Mark Zwonitzer, the ghostwriter for Biden's memoir.

The Justice Department had previously provided a transcript of Hur's interview with Biden earlier this month, but the GOP chairs argued that it was not enough. They pointed out that the subpoenas issued on February 27 legally obligate Garland to produce the requested material.

In response to the chairmen's letter, a Justice Department spokesperson expressed hope that Jordan and Comer would reconsider their proposed escalation, highlighting the department's cooperation with the committees thus far. The spokesperson emphasized that the attorney general released Hur's report to Congress with no redactions, provided documents, including the president's interview transcript, and Hur testified before Congress for more than five hours about his investigation.

During his appearance before the House Judiciary Committee, special counsel Robert Hur defended his report on Biden's handling of classified documents. He explained his findings, stating that while Biden may have "willfully" retained classified documents, he did not recommend charges against the president. Hur's report drew opposition from Republicans and criticism from Democrats for describing Biden as "a sympathetic, well-meaning, elderly man with a poor memory."

A leaked, redacted transcript of Hur's two-day interview with Biden revealed that the president stumbled over some details but remained engaged throughout the conversation. House Republicans, who have been investigating Biden's handling of classified documents for months, accused the Justice Department and White House of releasing the transcript prematurely, before completing the "interagency review" process.

In the ongoing clash over the release of documents, House Republicans remain focused on obtaining further evidence to support their investigation into Biden's handling of classified information. It remains to be seen how the standoff between the Republican chairs and the Justice Department will unfold in the coming weeks.