President Biden’s attorneys lashed out at the Justice Department the day before Special Counsel Robert Hur released his damning report describing the President as an “elderly man with a poor memory.” White House lawyers wrote to Attorney General Merrick Garland condemning the report and accusing Mr. Hur of “openly, obviously, and blatantly” violating Justice Department policy by “pejoratively characterizing uncharged conduct.”
Politico reported that this was not the first complaint from the White House concerning Hur’s investigation and claimed that a separate letter was sent immediately after the Special Counsel interviewed President Biden months earlier. On that occasion, the White House lawyers asked Hur to ensure that his final report was “economical” and brief, saying this was in keeping with standard Justice Department practice.
Associate Deputy Attorney General Bradley Weinsheimer responded to the complaints, however, saying that the complete publication was in the public interest, prompting the White House to accuse him of insufficient concern at the Justice Department’s willingness to malign the President.
Media reports in the wake of the shocking report revealed that President Biden is increasingly frustrated with Attorney General Garland and his failure to prevent the damning publication. Reports say Biden believed that Hur’s conclusions about his mental capacity went way beyond his purview, and anonymous White House sources said President Biden places the blame primarily on Mr. Garland.
Special Counsel Hur produced his report following months of investigation into the President’s handling of classified documents found in his former office at the University of Pennsylvania and his Delaware garage last year. Mr. Hur stated that he would not prosecute the President because a jury would sympathize with him and conclude he was a “well-meaning” elderly man.
A furious President Biden held a press conference and told reporters that his memory was “fine.” He denied the claims in Hur’s report that he did not remember significant events in his life, including the death of his son Beau.
