According to sources close to the White House, Deputy Attorney General Lisa Monaco recused herself from the special counsel's investigation into President Biden's handling of classified materials last year.
As reported by Axios, the investigation, led by special counsel Robert Hur, was one of Attorney General Merrick Garland's most consequential and controversial decisions. The release of Hur's report in February 2024 sparked concerns about President Biden's age and mental fitness, which persisted through the presidential debate on June 27.
The reason for Monaco's recusal remains unclear, but she reportedly conveyed to the White House chief of staff's office that she would have handled the probe differently after its conclusion.
Monaco's recusal from such a politically sensitive investigation raised eyebrows among some in Biden's orbit. When asked about the recusal, a spokesperson for Monaco stated that the department does not comment on internal deliberations and that it would be inappropriate to discuss any recusals.
A spokesperson for Chief of Staff Jeff Zients initially declined to comment on Monaco's reported communication with the chief of staff's office. However, after the story was published, Zients' spokesperson added that Jeff Zients had not heard this from Deputy AG Monaco.
Monaco, considered a potential contender for attorney general in a Kamala Harris administration, declined to comment directly. However, her spokesperson told Axios:
[Lisa Monaco] has never discussed the Hur investigation with the White House, and has not disagreed with the Attorney General on the handling of any significant matter.
The White House and Biden's outside legal team were reportedly furious with Hur's report and privately seethed at Garland after its release.
They argued that Hur had inappropriately included commentary about Biden's mental fitness after the president sat for several hours of interviews.
Before the report's release, the White House privately appealed to the Justice Department, claiming that Hur had violated department policies. They requested that the report be changed before its release.
The Justice Department, however, declined this request. Bradley Weinsheimer, the associate deputy attorney general under Monaco and a longtime Justice Department employee, responded to the appeal, stating that the department concluded the report and its release were consistent with legal requirements and department policy.
Hur's report, while declining to press charges against President Biden, included comments about the president's age and memory. The special counsel wrote that a jury would likely see Biden as a "sympathetic, well-meaning, elderly man with a poor memory."
This characterization in the report prompted a wave of concern about Biden's age. The concerns about the president's mental fitness persisted through the presidential debate on June 27, which led some Democratic lawmakers to push for Biden to drop out of the race.
In conclusion, Deputy Attorney General Lisa Monaco's recusal from the investigation into President Biden's handling of classified documents has raised questions within Biden's circle. The White House's reaction to special counsel Robert Hur's report, which included comments about the president's age and memory, sparked concerns about Biden's fitness for office. These concerns continued through the presidential debate, leading some Democrats to call for Biden to exit the race.
