Politics

Garland to Defend DOJ Against GOP Criticism at Hearing

Jun 4, 2024 1 min read

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Attorney General Merrick Garland is scheduled to testify before the House Judiciary Committee, where he will address various contentious issues, including the Department of Justice's handling of investigations involving President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump. Garland's testimony comes amid Republican criticisms over his refusal to provide audio recordings of President Biden's interview with special counsel Robert Hur, which were subpoenaed as part of an investigation into Biden's handling of classified documents.

Republican lawmakers have threatened to hold Garland in contempt of Congress for evading the subpoena and have also proposed defunding prosecutions against Trump. Garland has defended the Justice Department against these allegations, asserting that claims of a "weaponized" DOJ are unfounded and potentially dangerous. He emphasized that such claims could jeopardize the safety of law enforcement officials and insisted that the DOJ operates free from political influence.

During the hearing, Garland is expected to argue that the DOJ had no involvement in Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg's prosecution of Trump, who was convicted on 34 counts of falsifying business records related to hush money payments. Garland will also address Republican calls to cut funding for special counsel Jack Smith, who is leading federal investigations into Trump’s election interference and classified documents cases. The White House has supported Garland's position, arguing that releasing the audio recordings of Biden's interview could deter future witness cooperation.

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