Attorney General Merrick Garland will both praise and defend the work of his prosecutors, investigators and other employees during a Senate hearing Wednesday in the face of Republican critics who say that the Justice Department and FBI have become “weaponized” against former President Donald Trump and other conservatives.
(Bloomberg) — Attorney General Merrick Garland will both praise and defend the work of his prosecutors, investigators and other employees during a Senate hearing Wednesday in the face of Republican critics who say that the Justice Department and FBI have become “weaponized” against former President Donald Trump and other conservatives.
“Every day, the 115,000 employees of the Justice Department work tirelessly to fulfill our mission: to uphold the rule of law, to keep our country safe, and to protect civil rights,” Garland said in testimony prepared for the Senate Judiciary Committee.
The hearing marks Garland’s first time testifying publicly before the new Congress. He’s likely to be criticized and pressed by Republicans over a disparate set of issues, from investigations of parents accused of threatening school board members to allegations that President Joe Biden and his family members, particularly his son Hunter, engaged in improper business deals.
Last fall, Garland appointed a special counsel, Jack Smith, to investigate Trump and his allies regarding the aftermath of the 2020 presidential election, and the discovery of classified documents at the former president’s Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida.
“Every day, department employees counter complex threats to our national security. They fiercely protect the civil rights of our citizens,” according to Garland’s remarks, provided in advance of the hearing. “Every day, in everything we do, the employees of the Justice Department adhere to and uphold the rule of law that is the foundation of our system of government.”
Garland will also likely face questions about remarks by FBI Director Christopher Wray, in an interview broadcast Tuesday night on Fox News, that the coronavirus most likely originated from a “potential lab incident” in Wuhan, China.
The Justice Department is girding for bruising clashes with Republicans, especially GOP lawmakers in the House who now control committees and have subpoena power.
Lawmakers have been asking for more information about investigations being led by separate special counsels into Trump and Biden’s handling of classified material.
House Judiciary Chairman Jim Jordan sent Garland a letter late Tuesday urging him to appoint another special counsel to investigate Hunter Biden. Jordan demanded all documents and communications by March 14 about possibly bringing charges against the younger Biden, who is already under investigation by a US attorney.
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