GOP has 'Mueller moment' as Robert Hur quits DOJ and agrees to testify as private citizen: report

11 March 2024

House Republicans are looking forward to, as of Monday, former Department of Justice special counsel Robert Hur's testimony before the Judiciary Committee Tuesday, March 12 — weeks after the prosecutor decided against charging President Joe Biden over his handling of classified documents.

According to The Independent, Hur will testify "as a private citizen who has surrounded himself with Republican partisans and notorious figures linked to former president Donald Trump."

The Independent exclusively reports "multiple sources familiar with" the special counsel's plans, say that Hur, "at the request of the Republican majority led by Ohio Representative Jim Jordan, has arranged his departure from the Department of Justice to be official as of Monday 11 March, one day before he is scheduled to appear on Capitol Hill."

The special counsel's testimony, according to Axios, "gives Republicans their Mueller moment."

Axios notes:

Top House Republicans once argued that asking former special counsel Robert Mueller to testify at the conclusion of the Trump-Russia investigation was a purely political exercise by Democrats.

Mueller, like Hur, did not recommend criminal charges against the sitting president.

But his investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 election did present Democrats with material for political attacks, which Republicans at the time denounced.

Per The Independent, "A Judiciary Committee source said Mr Hur’s departure from government service the day before he testifies is a major red flag for Democrats on the panel."

The source emphasized, "That makes it even more problematic from our perspective ... if he was still a federal employee, DOJ would have to approve his testimony and they’d be involved in his appearance tomorrow."

Furthermore, the news outlet reports, "Another source told The Independent that committee members have taken note of Mr Hur’s team and are expecting him to attempt to inflict as much political harm on Mr Biden as he possibly can."

The Independent's report is available at this link. Axios report is here.

From Your Site Articles