Takeaways from Merrick Garland’s testimony before the House Judiciary Committee
CNN
Attorney General Merrick Garland appeared defiant Tuesday as he spent hours fielding questions from lawmakers on a range of topics, occasionally sparring with Republican House members seeking to use his testimony to attack the Justice Department.
Attorney General Merrick Garland appeared defiant Tuesday as he spent hours fielding questions from lawmakers on a range of topics, occasionally sparring with Republican House members seeking to use his testimony to attack the Justice Department. Over the course of a roughly five-hour-long hearing before the House Judiciary Committee, Garland defended the department’s work and role in several high-profile criminal cases, including those brought against former President Donald Trump and Hunter Biden. Garland’s testimony comes as Republican lawmakers have argued that the Justice Department is being weaponized against conservatives and just a few weeks after the GOP-led House Judiciary Committee and Oversight Committee voted to advance contempt proceedings against the attorney general for his refusal to turn over audio recordings of President Joe Biden’s interview with special counsel Robert Hur. “I view contempt as a serious matter,” Garland said at one point on Tuesday. “But I will not jeopardize the ability of our prosecutors and agents to do their jobs effectively in future investigations.” Here are five takeaways from Tuesday’s hearing: Garland devoted a considerable part of his opening remarks to making clear that he was unmoved by the “unprecedented” attacks lobbed on his department in recent months.
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