Staff Reports
Looks like President Biden’s literary partner in crime, Mark Zwonitzer, is in some hot water. The House Judiciary Committee, not exactly known for taking it easy on the Biden administration, has slated a vote later this week on whether to hold Zwonitzer in contempt of Congress. This anticipated vote stems from Zwonitzer’s failure to cooperate with a subpoena concerning a book he collaborated on with the President that may have involved, you guessed it, classified information.
The committee has been digging for details related to Biden’s 2017 memoir, “Promise Me, Dad,” ever since they got wind of potential national security breaches. The subpoena issued in March demanded a trove of records, including all communications, work contracts, and interviews between Zwonitzer and Biden. In other words, the committee wants it all, and they won’t settle for a handshake and a smile.
Biden ghostwriter faces contempt vote by House panel- Washington Examiner https://t.co/NrC0poWrkq
— Melanie (@MellieMAGA) June 25, 2024
Former special counsel Robert Hur’s yearlong investigation piled on the intrigue by revealing that Biden inappropriately disclosed classified details to Zwonitzer during the book-writing sessions. Even juicier, Zwonitzer apparently tried to scrub those telltale audio recordings out of existence after the Attorney General appointed Hur to investigate Biden’s mishandling of sensitive material. Thankfully, the FBI played hero and managed to recover the nixed tapes.
Chairman Jim Jordan isn’t playing around either. He made it clear in his correspondence with Zwonitzer’s lawyer, Louis Freeman, that the stonewalling will not fly. Freeman’s attempts to dodge the committee’s demands were swiftly deemed “unfounded” by Jordan. It seems the Republicans have been sharpening their talons for this showdown, especially after Hur’s report highlighted Biden’s intentional retention of some materials inspired by his drive to pen that memoir.
In a bold move, House Republicans even took a swipe at Attorney General Merrick Garland, subpoenaing audio recordings between Hur and Biden. Garland’s refusal to disclose the tapes led Republicans to hold him in contempt too, although the Department of Justice decided not to press charges. Clearly, the game of political hardball is far from over, and Biden’s camp might need more than just a ghostwriter to script their way out of this predicament.
