Washington
CNN
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Attorney General Merrick Garland appeared before a Senate committee Wednesday, where he faced questions on everything from two recently appointed special counsels to the sale of deadly drugs and legal principles of the internal Justice Department.
Garland’s appearance before the Democratic-controlled Senate Judiciary Committee marked his first trip to Capitol Hill this year. It comes as the investigations into President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump have taken center stage in recent months.
Garland’s opening statement touched on topics such as efforts to combat the rise of violent crime and hate crimes, working to protect reproductive freedom across the country, and the department’s achievements in government partnerships in Ukraine against Russian aggression.
“Every day, the 115,000 employees of the Justice Department work tirelessly to fulfill our mission: to uphold the rule of law, keep our nation safe, and protect civil rights,” he said, praising in the efforts of employees to protect national security and “the democratic institutions of our country.”
Here are the takeaways and key moments from the hearing:
Garland said Wednesday that he would not interfere in the Delaware US attorney’s ongoing investigation into Hunter Biden focused on taxes and other issues.
“I promised not to interfere with that investigation, and I’m keeping that promise,” Garland said, responding to questions from Republican Sen. Chuck Grassley in the investigation.
Garland reiterated that Delaware’s U.S. Attorney, David C. Weiss, has “full authority” to conduct the investigation and bring it to another jurisdiction if necessary. Garland said Weiss “will not be denied anything she needs.”
He also said it would be “a national security problem” if President Biden’s son received payments from a foreign government as a way to influence the administration.
“If it’s an agent of a foreign government asking somebody and paying somebody to do things to support that foreign government secretly, yes, I’m sure that’s a problem with the national security,” Garland said.
The questions reflect Republican suggestions that the young Biden made lucrative business deals because foreign governments tried to get to his father.
Hunter Biden has denied criminal wrongdoing in his business dealings.
Judiciary Committee Chairman Dirk Durbin, an Illinois Democrat, pushed Garland on whether social media companies should be held accountable for the illegal sale of deadly drugs, comparing their online sales to a “pact of suicide.”
“I hate to put words in your mouth, but I think Section 230 has become a suicide pact,” Durbin said, referring to a section of the Communications Decency Act that protects tech platforms from to sue due to content users post. “We tell these companies, ‘you have no liability, make money’ …
Garland agreed that “we need to do something to force (tech platforms) to provide information, to find their own platforms for the sale of illegal drugs,” and promised that the committee has the support of the DOJ in efforts to reduce the online sale of deadly drugs. drugs and targeting algorithms that may increase their sales.
The attorney general added that the department supports “a better way to get social media companies, whether civil or criminal, to remove these things from their platforms.”
Garland was fired by Utah Republican Sen. Mike Lee on missing cases – after demonstrators protested for weeks in front of the justices’ residences because of the leaked opinion to overturn the opinion of Roe v. Wade – under the law prohibiting “picketing.” or parade” in front of a federal judge’s house.
“It’s for me,” Lee said. “When you show up at a public official’s house, you send a message of unreal violence.”
The attorney general said he did not know if the department had brought any charges under the law. But, Garland said, the “important thing” was his move, after the leak of a draft opinion, to order the US Marshals Service to protect judges and their homes 24/7.
“No attorney general has ruled that before. And no Department of Justice has ever done that before,” Garland said, adding that 70-plus US Marshals have been deployed to protect the judges.
“They are on site, but their priority job is protection,” Garland said. “So if somebody comes to attack Justice (Brett) Kavanaugh, he has to walk away – away from where they are, because there are two marshals in front of the house – and eventually he himself reports (to his self).”
How the US Marshals handled the alleged assassination attempt against Kavanaugh is being investigated. The man accused of attempting the attack was caught only after he texted his sister and she called 911, according to information released by local law enforcement.
This story has been updated with additional developments.
