Special counsel Robert Hur to testify before House panel next month

WASHINGTON — Special counsel Robert Hur, who recently declined to prosecute President Joe Biden over his handling of classified documents after leaving office as vice president, will deliver public testimony next month before a Republican-led House panel, two sources familiar with the matter confirmed to NBC News.

Hur’s testimony will take place March 12 before the House Judiciary Committee, led by Rep. Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, the sources said.

Another source said that House Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer, R-Ky., will be allowed to participate in the hearing.

A spokesperson for the Justice Department did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

NBC News previously reported that Jordan, Comer, and Rep. Jason Smith, R-Mo., who leads the House Ways and Means Committee, wrote to Attorney General Merrick Garland asking that he provide the full transcript of the president’s interview with Hur that stemmed from the special counsel’s investigation into Biden’s handling of classified documents after he left office as vice president.

Biden was interviewed in October as part of Hur’s investigation. The trio of Republican leaders told Garland in their letter that Biden’s handling of classified documents is a key part of their investigation into the president, and that Hur’s interview and report will aid them in determining whether the evidence supports drafting articles of impeachment.

The three House committees have been conducting an impeachment inquiry into Biden. They have largely focused on allegations that the Justice Department gave preferential treatment to the president’s son Hunter Biden when it worked with the IRS on an investigation of his tax payments and whether the president was involved in any of his son’s overseas business dealings.

Rebecca Kaplan and Ryan Nobles reported from Washington, and Zoë Richards reported from New York.