The House Judiciary Committee is planning to decide later this week whether to hold Mark Zwonitzer, President Joe Biden’s ghostwriter, in contempt of Congress over his refusal to comply with a Congressional subpoena.
Zwonitzer was subpoenaed by the committee in March, which sought audio recordings and transcripts of conversation that he had with Biden. Biden reportedly illegally shared classified information with Zwonitzer after he left office as vice president, according to Townhall.
Rep. Jim Jordan (R-OH) released a report on Tuesday, recommending that Zwonitzer be held in contempt of Congress by the House of Representatives.
“In the weeks following the February 5, 2024, release of Special Counsel Robert K. Hur’s report, the Committee on the Judiciary (the ‘Committee’), engaged with Mark Zwonitzer to obtain a limited set of documents and records related to Special Counsel Hur’s report,” the report says. “Zwonitzer served as the ghostwriter for President Joe Biden’s memoirs and Special Counsel Hur’s report revealed that Zwonitzer possessed records that would inform potential legislative reforms.”
The report notes that the subpoena was issued to Zwonitzer in March after he refused to “provide the relevant documents and records” to the committee.
“After Zwonitzer declined to provide the relevant documents and records, the Committee issued a subpoena on March 22, 2024, to Zwonitzer compelling the production of six specific categories of documents and records, including audio recordings and transcripts of his interviews with President Joe Biden relating to his ghostwriting work on the President’s memoirs, Promise Me, Dad and Promises to Keep,” the report says.
“The Committee subpoenaed these materials for several reasons-including to determine if legislation is needed to codify procedures governing clear statutory guidelines related to the handling, storage, and disclosure of classified materials or modify criminal penalties for the unauthorized dissemination and disclosure of classified materials,” the report adds. “To date, Zwonitzer has refused to produce any of the requested documents or materials.”
In February, Biden was questioned during a White House briefing about why he had shared classified information with his ghostwriter.
“Mr. President, why did you share classified information with your ghostwriter?” a reporter asked.
Biden responded, “I did not share classified information. I did not share it.”
The reporter then questioned, “With your ghostwriter?”
“With my ghostwriter, I did not,” Biden answered. “Guarantee you, I did not.”
During a House Judiciary Committee meeting in March, Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-FL) questioned Special Counsel Robert Hur about Biden’s statement, to which Hur admitted that Biden’s comments were “inconsistent with the findings.”
Gaetz also expressed criticism that Zwonitzer had not been charged with obstructing justice, even after he had admitted he deleted recordings of his conversations with Biden.
This comes after Attorney General Merrick Garland was held in contempt of Congress over his refusal to comply with Congressional subpoenas. In response to Garland being held in contempt of Congress, the Department of Justice said it was declining to prosecute him.