Special counsel Robert Hur slaps back at claims from Adam Schiff and Democrats he mentioned Biden's memory to help TRUMP and to get a spot in his White House because he knew he would spark a firestorm

Special Counsel Robert Hur defended himself Tuesday against criticism from House Democrats, including Rep. Adam Schiff, over his decision to include broad statements about President Joe Biden's memory in his classified documents report. 

Hur testified before the House Judiciary Committee on his investigation into whether Biden mishandled classified documents and his decision not to prosecute the sitting president.

His report, which was released in early February, said that Biden had 'diminished faculties' and said that a jury would find him a 'sympathetic, well-meaning elderly man with a poor memory.' 

Schiff, the leading California Senate candidate, and other Democrats blasted Hur for including that information in the report claiming he knew it would damage Biden politically and create a firestorm. 

'You don't gratuitously add language you know will be useful in a political campaign,' Schiff said. 'You were not born yesterday. You understood exactly what you were doing. It was a choice. You certainly didn't have to include that language.'

Special Counsel Robert Hur (right) defended himself Tuesday against criticism from House Democrats, including Rep. Adam Schiff (onscreen), over his decision to include broad statements about President Joe Biden's memory in his classified documents report

Schiff (pictured), the leading California Senate candidate, and other Democrats blasted Hur for including that information in the report claiming he knew it would damage Biden politically and create a firestorm

Hur was appointed by former President Donald Trump, who's running to retake the White House, and told lawmakers that he's a Republican. 

But he pushed back on assertions that he included statements about Biden's memory to hurt the Democratic president in the November election. 

In Hur's opening statement, he said he did not disparage the president, something Schiff objected to when it was the California Democrat's turn to question the witness.

'I want to refer back to your opening statement in which you said that you did not disparage the president in your report, but of course you did disparage the president. You disparaged him in terms you had to know would have a maximum political impact,' Schiff claimed. 

 'You understood the report would be public right?' Schiff asked. 

Hur said that what he 'understood' were the regulations that 'required me to write a confidential report for the attorney general explaining my decision.' 

'And that is what I did, congressman,' Hur said. 

Hur said it was up to the Biden-appointed Attorney General Merrick Garland to determine whether to make the report public. 

Schiff continued to press him on this matter, until Hur added that, 'I understood from the attorney general's public comments that he would make as much of my report public as he could consistent with legal requirements and DOJ policy.'

The California Democrat also slammed Hurt saying that what he wrote was 'deeply prejudicial to the interests of the president.' 

'You must have understood the impact of your decision to go beyond the specifics of a particular document to go to the very general, to your own personal, prejudicial subjective opinion of the president,' Schiff said. 'One you knew would be amplified by his political opponent, one you knew would influence a political campaign.'

'You had to undestand that and you did it anyway, and you did it anyway,' the California congressman said. 

Hur countered, 'What you are suggesting is that I needed to provide a different version of my report that would be fit for public release.' 

'What is in the rules, Mr. Hur, what is in the rules is you don't gratuitously do things to prejudice the subject of an investigation when you're declining to prosecute,' Schiff shot back. 

Schiff also pointed out that witnesses often tell investigators they don't recall scenarios. 

'There is nothing more common - you know this, I know this - there is nothing more common with a witness of any age when asked about events that are years old to say I do no recall,' the California congressman said. 'Indeed they are instructed by their attorney to do that if they have any question about it.' 

'You understood that, you made a choice, that was a political choice, it was the wrong choice,' Schiff said. 

Hur clapped back as the congressman's time had expired. 

'What you are suggesting is that I shape, sanitize, omit portions of my reasoning and explanation to the attorney general for political reasons,' Hur said. 

'No, I suggest you not shape your report for political reasons, which is what you did,' Schiff said.

'That did not happen congressman, that did not happen,' Hur shot back. 

Democratic Rep. Hank Johnson also probed Hur on whether his personal politics played a role in the final report. 

Johnson asked Hur if he was a member of the conservatie Federalist Society, to which Hur said he was not. 

'But you are a Republican though, aren't you?' the Democratic congressman asked. 

Hur said yes. 

'And you're doing everything you can to get President Trump reelected so that you can get appointed as a federal judge or perhaps to another position in the Department of Justice, isn't that correct? Johnson mused. 

To that, Hur said no. 

'Congressman, I have no such aspirations, I can assure you,' Hur answered. 'And I can tell you that partisan politics has no place whatsoever in my work.'