During a hearing before the House Judiciary Committee on Tuesday, Attorney General Merrick Garland assured lawmakers that he will not be swayed by accusations of political interference at the Justice Department.
Republican leaders on the committee claimed during the hearing that the Justice Department is taking cues from President Joe Biden to pursue legal actions against former President Donald Trump.
“I will not be intimidated,” Garland asserted. “The Justice Department will remain steadfast in carrying out its duties without succumbing to political pressures. We will stand firm in safeguarding our democracy.”
Trump is currently facing two federal cases led by Justice Department special counsel Jack Smith. One accuses Trump of withholding classified information and obstructing justice when officials tried to recover the materials from his Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida. The other case is related to the January 6 insurrection and accuses Trump of conspiring to impede the peaceful transfer of power following his electoral defeat.
In a separate state case overseen by Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg, Trump was found guilty of 34 felony charges for falsifying business records in an effort to conceal payments made to adult film star Stormy Daniels. This case is unrelated to the federal cases and does not involve the Justice Department.
The President
White House blocks release of Biden’s special counsel interview audio
8:42 AM, May 16, 2024
Recently, Republican members leading the House panel sought to hold Garland in contempt after the Biden administration refused to release the audio of the president’s interview with special counsel Robert Hur. The Justice Department cited concerns about potential misuse of the audio for creating misinformation like “deepfake” messages.
Garland pushed back against these allegations and reiterated that the Justice Department is committed to upholding the law.
“I take contempt charges seriously,” Garland stated. “However, I will not jeopardize the effectiveness of our prosecutors and agents in future investigations.”
