Special counsel Robert Hur prepared for Tuesday’s testimony in front of the House Judiciary Committee with help from the Office of Legislative Affairs at the Justice Department, according to a source close to him.
Hur left the DOJ last week, so it is notable that he got help from DOJ for this hearing, and is another example of the support Hur has received from the department even as the White House objects to some aspects of his report.
Once he left the Justice Department, Hur did additional moot hearings with his attorney, Bill Burck, and others to prepare for Tuesday’s hearing, the source said.
Hur anticipates that Republicans will ask about why he did not charge Biden and that Democrats will chastise him about his comments he included about Biden’s memory.
A source with the Justice Department who is familiar with Hur’s preparation for Tuesday’s House hearing said that the Office of Legislative Affairs “provides support to any employee who is testifying before Congress. In this instance, the office’s role was limited since the special counsel retained private counsel for his preparations.”
A source close to Hur says he wants to stick to the traditional approach special counsels take to these hearings where they do not talk about investigative methods or stray from conclusions in the report.
The source said Hur will emphasize that he did not find Biden “innocent” but did not think he could win at trial if he brought charges.
“He is not looking to make anyone happy,” the source said. “It shows he is independent.”
In response to the White House releasing the Biden interview transcript, the source told CNN the White House is worried Hur will reveal additional information under questioning.
