“I will not be intimidated”: Attorney General Merrick Garland condemns attacks on the Justice Department

CNN
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Attorney General Merrick Garland is expected to strongly condemn Republicans’ “repeated attacks” and “conspiracy theories” that the Justice Department could be used as a weapon against former President Donald Trump in his opening remarks to Congress on Tuesday, according to prepared statements obtained by CNN.

Garland’s vigorous defense of the department and federal law enforcement will kick off what is likely to be a tense, hours-long hearing before members of the House Judiciary Committee, which is scheduled to begin at 10 a.m. ET.

In his most outspoken comments since his confirmation in 2020, Garland will tell members of the House Judiciary Committee that recent attacks on the Justice Department are “unprecedented and unfounded.”

“Some members of this committee and the Oversight Committee are seeking contempt of court to obtain – without any legitimate purpose – sensitive law enforcement information that could harm the integrity of future investigations,” Garland will say, according to prepared remarks.

The attorney general was summoned to the Capitol for a hearing on the department’s work under his leadership, including efforts to combat violent crime and investigate potential threats to the United States from foreign conflicts.

But Garland, who is at the center of a Republican-led contempt of court case, is prepared to forcefully confront his critics.

Republicans want to charge Garland with contempt of Congress because he refused to release the audio recordings of the president’s interview with special counsel Robert Hur. Hur had investigated Garland’s handling of confidential documents and refused to bring charges.

The contempt of court proceedings come “in addition to false allegations that a jury verdict in a case brought by a local district attorney was somehow controlled by the Department of Justice,” Garland is expected to say, referring to the New York state case in which Trump was found guilty of falsifying business records.

“This conspiracy theory is an attack on the justice system itself,” Garland is expected to say.

In a letter to Garland ahead of Tuesday’s hearing, Republican Representatives Chip Roy, Andy Biggs and Thomas Massie accused the Justice Department of “aggressively prosecuting American citizens who were present at the U.S. Capitol on January 6, 2021” and demanded a briefing on the matter.

The attorney general will also address other threats arising from the federal investigation into Trump, including the spread of “extremely dangerous falsehoods” about the FBI’s law enforcement operations and “threats to defund certain department investigations,” such as that of special counsel Jack Smith.

“This comes at a time when we are experiencing heinous threats of violence against Justice Department officials,” Garland is expected to say. But the long series of attacks “has not and will not influence our decision-making.”

“I view contempt as a serious matter. But I will not jeopardize the ability of our prosecutors and agents to do their jobs effectively in future investigations,” Garland said in remarks.

“I will not be intimidated. And the Justice Department will not be intimidated. We will continue to do our work free from political influence. And we will not stop defending our democracy.”

This story has been updated with additional information.

CNN’s Annie Grayer contributed to this report.