In a surprising turn of events, the House Oversight Committee has rescheduled a hearing to hold Attorney General Merrick Garland in contempt of Congress, prioritizing instead the opportunity for some of its members to attend former President Trump’s ongoing criminal trial in New York.
The hearing, initially set for early Thursday morning, has been pushed back to 8 p.m. to accommodate the schedules of Republican lawmakers who wish to attend the trial, including Freedom Caucus members and Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.).
This move raised eyebrows as the Oversight Committee was poised to vote on holding Garland in contempt for refusing to hand over the audio recording of President Biden’s interview with special counsel Robert Hur.
GOP Lawmakers Choose Trump Trial Over Contempt Hearing for Attorney General Garland
While the committee already has a transcript of the interview, Republicans argue that the audio files could hold significance for their impeachment investigation. Democrats, however, see this as a clear example of Republicans prioritizing their loyalty to Trump over their duties in Congress.
The delay has sparked criticism from Democrats, who accuse Republicans of abandoning their “urgent” hearing to attend Trump’s trial and “earn brownie points” with their political leader.
Committee Democrats expressed surprise at the last-minute change, wondering aloud who is now setting the committee’s calendar. As Republicans flock to New York to show support for Trump, it remains unclear which lawmakers will attend the trial.
However, it is clear that this move has further politicized an already contentious situation, with Democrats accusing Republicans of prioritizing political loyalty over the rule of law.
