The House Judiciary Committee voted 13-11 along party lines on Thursday to advance the contempt effort against Mark Zwonitzer, President Joe Biden‘s ghostwriter, for not turning over documents and recordings related to his work on the president’s memoirs. These materials were mentioned in a special counsel’s report on Biden’s handling of classified documents.
Biden Ghostwriter trial : Committee’s Reasoning
Committee Chair Rep. Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, emphasized the need for these materials to determine whether Biden shared classified information with his ghostwriter, to judge the special counsel Robert Hur’s decision to not prosecute Biden, and to assess the president’s mental state. This decision follows months of back-and-forth between the committee and Zwonitzer.
“To date, Mr. Zwonitzer has refused to comply with the committee’s subpoena,” Jordan said during the session. “No legal or constitutional privilege protects the information subpoenaed from disclosure.”
White House Response
The White House and Democratic lawmakers expressed outrage over the special counsel’s February report that questioned Biden’s memory. In contrast, Republicans said it raised concerns about his fitness for office.
