Deputy attorney general Merrick Garland will pledge to take the lead in the lawsuit against those accused of the siege of the United States Capitol and swear independence from President Biden’s prosecutor at his confirmation hearing on Monday.
Why does it matter: As Attorney General, Judge Garland would oversee politically sensitive cases, including an investigation into the taxes of the President’s son, Hunter Biden, and another about the origins of the investigation into former President Trump’s negotiations with Russia.
Driving the news: According to his opening statement, released on Saturday night, Garland plans to tell the Senate Judiciary Committee that, if confirmed, he will fight discrimination and domestic terrorism.
- He will highlight his career as a prosecutor – notably his oversight of the investigation of domestic terrorist Timothy McVeigh and the 1995 Oklahoma City bombing that killed 168 people.
- In the siege of the Capitol, Garland will say that he intends to “oversee the process against 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 new government. elected. “
- Regarding the independence of the attorney general’s position, Garland will say, “The president appoints the attorney general to be the attorney – not for any individual, but for the people of the United States.”
Background: Garland, 68, was born in Chicago and graduated from Harvard University and Harvard Law School, and has served on the United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit since 1997.
- He was appointed by President Obama in 2016 to succeed the late Judge Antonin Scalia.
- But then-Senate majority leader Mitch McConnell avoided that, insisting that the replacement should be chosen by the newly elected president later that year. Judge Neil Gorsuch was later confirmed under the Trump administration.
Read Garland’s full opening statement via DocumentCloud:
Editor’s note: This is breaking news. Please check again for updates.