Deputy Attorney General Merrick Garland will promise to “oversee the case against white supremacists and others who have invaded the Capitol”, while seeking confirmation of his appointment next week.
The election of President Joe Biden will tell the Senate Judiciary Committee, whose members will consider his appointment on Monday and Tuesday, that “fighting extremist attacks on our democratic institutions” remains central to the Justice Department’s mission.
A preview of Garland’s presentation to the committee, first reported by the Politico, shows that the Chicago native will call the January 6 riot “a heinous attack.”
“If confirmed, I will oversee the prosecution of white supremacists and others who invaded the Capitol on January 6 – a heinous attack that sought to break a cornerstone of our democracy: the peaceful transfer of power to a newly elected government,” is expected to say.
Garland, who served 24 years as a judge, will also cite his experience in prosecuting those behind the bombing of a federal building in Oklahoma City in 1995, an attack also motivated by extremist anti-government beliefs.
Away from the attack on the Capitol, Garland also seems determined to try to move the department away from the charges he faced under his predecessor, William Barr.
Barr, who served in former President Donald Trump, faced criticism as a loyal supporter of Trump during his days as the last full-time attorney general.
These criticisms grew louder after Barr’s intervention in a case involving Trump’s friend Roger Stone and a federal judge’s decision to issue a rare public warning about the independence of the courts.
Garland now emphasizes the need to “reaffirm the norms that will guarantee the [DOJ’s] adherence to the rule of law. “
Garland says that this will be achieved through the application of policies that:
- protect the DOJ “from party influence in law enforcement investigations”
- regulate your communications with the White House
- establish FBI operational guidelines
- “guarantee respectful treatment of the press”
- “respect the professionalism” of DOJ employees
- establishes principles to guide the exercise of the discretion of the Federal Public Ministry
The authorities will also read the Freedom of Information Act “generously”, he will add.
In the past few weeks, the nominee has faced calls to investigate whether former President Donald Trump and Senator Lindsey Graham (RS.C.) violated the laws by pressing Georgia officials to overturn the state election result.
During his testimony before the Judiciary Committee, Garland was also able to hear about the request by Republican senators for an investigation into the alleged role of New York Governor Andrew Cuomo in a nursing home scandal.
Garland’s words, which may offer a glimpse of his priorities at the DOJ, do not mention specific allegations other than the Capitol insurrection.
However, he will highlight the need to address racial injustices in the United States, warning that the United States “does not yet have equal justice”.
“Communities of color and other minorities still face discrimination in housing, education, employment and in the criminal justice system; and bear the brunt of the damage caused by the pandemic, pollution and climate change, ”said Garland.
In the testimony, he will also emphasize the DOJ’s role in protecting Americans from:
- Ambiental degradation
- abuse of market power
- fraud and corruption
- violent crime and cybercrime
- drug trafficking and child exploitation
The department must achieve this, Garland will add, “without ever taking its eyes off the risk of another devastating attack by foreign terrorists. The Attorney General takes an oath to support and defend the United States Constitution against all enemies – foreign and domestic. “
Alex Wong / Getty