Attorney General Merrick Garland testifies before a Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies hearing to discuss the fiscal year 2023 budget of the Department of Justice at the Capitol in Washington, Tuesday, April 26, 2022. Greg Nash/AP

Merrick Garland to tout DOJ’s ‘integrity’ to Congress as he faces fierce GOP questioning

Ashley Oliver September 19, 03:45 PM September 19, 04:06 PM Video Embed

EXCLUSIVE — Attorney General Merrick Garland will emphasize Justice Department accomplishments on Wednesday during what is expected to be a heated hearing in which Republicans plan to grill the attorney general over their concerns the department has been weaponized against conservatives.

Garland will highlight early on during his opening statement, which was obtained by the Washington Examiner, that he has “reinforced” or “updated” departmental policies to prevent “partisan influence in law enforcement investigations.”

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While Garland is expected to face pointed questions from Republicans about the special counsel prosecutions of President Joe Biden’s son Hunter and former President Donald Trump, the attorney general does not plan to mention those issues in his opening remarks.

In the prepared remarks, the attorney general praises the work of DOJ staff, citing “the courage, dedication, and integrity of the professionals who make up the Justice Department’s workforce.”

Garland will also tout early on, according to his remarks, that the government has arrested more than 1,100 in connection with the Jan. 6 Capitol riot and that prosecutors have secured a “wide range” of convictions, which have included anywhere from common trespassing violations to rare seditious conspiracy charges.

The department “is committed to ensuring accountability for those criminally responsible for the January 6 assault on our democracy,” Garland will say. “And we remain committed to doing everything in our power to prevent this from ever happening again.”

Garland will highlight a number of other areas of the department’s work, including vetting threats made to public officials, combating war crimes in Ukraine, countering terrorism and cyber crimes, tackling drug and gun-related crimes, and providing grant money to local law enforcement.

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The attorney general also plans to infuse comments into his opening statement that align with President Joe Biden’s political agenda, including emphasizing a departmental push for less restrictive voting laws, “environmental justice,” and “advancing reproductive freedom” in the year following Roe v. Wade’s reversal.

This story is developing.

Read the testimony below:

Merrick Garland testimony © 2023 Washington Examiner

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