This story was originally published by the WND News Center.

Just as Congress was preparing a contempt citation for Joe Biden's attorney general, Merrick Garland, for refusing to comply with a subpoena for the audio tapes of special counsel Robert Hur's grilling of the president, the White House is insisting they are protected by executive privilege.

That, of course, is the same authority that Democrats have set aside in the multiple cases that they have developed against President Donald Trump during their lawfare campaign against him, trying to prevent his success in his 2024 bid for the Oval Office.

Biden's attempt to use the precedent was outlined in a report in the Washington Examiner.

The Hur interviews with Biden have proven catastrophic for Democrats, as he found that Biden probably broke federal law in taking and keeping classified documents as a senator and then vice president for Barack Obama.

Not only did he not have the authority to do that, he then stored them in unsecured locations like a garage at his home, and even shared them with a ghostwriter.

Hur, however, recommended against prosecution for Biden because of his "diminished" capacity, and how he likely would be seen by a jury as an old man with significant memory problems.

The report said now Biden "undercut" House Republican efforts to pursue a contempt charge against Garland over his refusal to release the tapes, which members of Congress say can provide a lot more information than just a transcript of the statements.

The report said it was the White House that told the House Oversight and Judiciary Committee Chairmen James Comer, R-Ky., and Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, of Biden’s claim.

White House counsel Edward Siskel claimed in a letter obtained by the Examiner, “Because of the president’s longstanding commitment to protecting the integrity, effectiveness, and independence of the Department of Justice and its law enforcement investigations, he has decided to assert executive privilege over the recordings."

Siskel pointed out Biden did not try to censor Hur's actual report, although it is known that the White House did try to get the special counsel to edit it so that it would not reference Biden's declining mental status.

Hur said that needed to be included because it was part of his reasoning for recommending against charges.