(Luis Cornelio, Headline USA) House Republicans announced plans on Tuesday to hold Mark Zwonitzer in contempt of Congress for failing to comply with a subpoena related to Joe Biden’s handling of classified materials.
Zwonitzer, a former ghostwriter for Biden during the Trump administration years, is central to the impeachment inquiry focused on Biden’s handling of such documents.
House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, scheduled a “markup” hearing on Thursday to consider a resolution against Zwonitzer for his non-compliance.
The House Judiciary Committee will hold a markup on Thursday, June 27, 2024, at 10:00 a.m. ET to consider this contempt. https://t.co/KSKDMn1Ddm
— House Judiciary GOP 🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸 (@JudiciaryGOP) June 25, 2024
Special Counsel Robert Hur revealed that Zwonitzer possessed notes and audio recordings of private conversations with Biden about classified documents.
Although Hur found evidence suggesting Biden willfully withheld classified materials, he controversially declined to press criminal charges, citing Biden’s age.
In a detailed 17-page report released Tuesday, Jordan described the effort to obtain the audio recordings of Biden discussing classified documents. Inexplicably, Zwonitzer deleted the audio after the special counsel investigation was announced.
The report stated, “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.”
Jordan emphasized, “To date, despite assurances that Zwonitzer would cooperate, significant accommodations from the Committee, numerous requests for materials responsive to the subpoena, and a specific warning that failure to produce the documents and materials would result in contempt proceedings, Zwonitzer has failed to do so.”
Moreover, Jordan argued that “Zwonitzer’s willful refusal to comply with the Committee’s subpoena constitutes contempt of Congress and warrants referral to the appropriate United States Attorney’s Office for prosecution as prescribed by law.”
