Harold Hutchison
- Criticism of Attorney General Merrick Garland over the pace of the investigation into the Jan. 6 Capitol riots has grown over the past few days.
- “Merrick Garland is failing the United States of America,” Democratic Texas Rep. Joaquin Castro said on CNN Sunday.
- Jennifer Rubin, columnist for The Washington Post, wrote that Biden “has every right to a new attorney general who embraces the public, educational nature of the job and who will push back aggressively against institutional reticence and wariness of disrupting outmoded conventions.”
Liberals have criticized Attorney General Merrick Garland’s handling of the investigation into the events of Jan. 6, 2021, with some even calling for his replacement.
“So far, Merrick Garland is failing the United States of America,” Democratic Texas Rep. Joaquin Castro said on CNN Sunday, adding that “Trump is a threat to our democracy, and we need to treat him like one” in a tweet Sunday night.
How many crimes does Trump need to commit to be prosecuted — or at least investigated — by the DOJ?
He pressured lawmakers to overturn an election and obstructed justice to hide his crimes.
Trump is a threat to our democracy, and we need to treat him like one. https://t.co/w68qeyZN2e pic.twitter.com/Smcoa65FyC
— Joaquin Castro (@JoaquinCastrotx) April 4, 2022
Castro’s comments come after President Joe Biden had reportedly expressed frustration with the pace of the probe and wished Garland would take decisive action, according to a report from The New York Times on Saturday. Members of the House Jan. 6 committee have also complained about the Justice Department’s failure to rapidly seek prosecution over referrals for contempt of Congress after some Trump allies have failed to comply with subpoenas.
“The Department of Justice also needs to move swiftly,” Democratic Virginia Rep. Elaine Luria said on MSNBC last week.
Rep. Elaine Luria urges AG Garland to act on the Jan. 6 committee’s contempt referrals:
“It’s been over three months since we referred those charged relative to Mark Meadows—The Department of Justice needs to move swiftly.” pic.twitter.com/pGxQWTYuAt
— All In with Chris Hayes (@allinwithchris) March 30, 2022
Last October, the Justice Department rebuked the White House after Biden called for swifter action to prosecute some contempt cases tied to congressional subpoenas.
“The Department of Justice will make its own independent decisions in all prosecutions based solely on the facts and the law,” the agency said in a statement.
The frustration with the pace of the investigation has led some to call on President Biden to replace Garland with a more aggressive prosecutor.
“It’s time for a group of respected, experienced, influential legal eagles to sign a letter to President Biden demanding the firing of Merrick Garland,” Cheri Jacobus, a former Republican political strategist, posted on Twitter. “It has to happen, and this can give Biden some political cover. The status quo cannot stand.”
It's time for a group of respected, experienced, influential legal eagles to sign a letter to President Biden demanding the firing of Merrick Garland. It has to happen, and this can give Biden some political cover.
The status quo cannot stand.— Cheri Jacobus (@CheriJacobus) April 4, 2022
Opinion writer Jennifer Rubin, who Politico described as “one of the most reliable defenders of the Biden administration” last year, called for Garland’s replacement in a Monday op-ed.
“If Biden is displeased with Garland — or finds he lacks the necessary qualities to conduct the sort of investigation our fragile democracy requires — Biden can replace him,” she wrote in The Washington Post. “He has every right to a new attorney general who embraces the public, educational nature of the job and who will push back aggressively against institutional reticence and wariness of disrupting outmoded conventions.”
George Washington University law professor Jonathan Turley argued that the leaks about Biden’s frustration are intended to pressure Garland into prosecution while granting Biden cover.
“These are statements made to aides that were then leaked to the media to get to Garland,” Turley wrote on his blog. “That allows the media to say that Biden never said it directly to Garland, but the message was delivered by the media.”
The Justice Department did not respond to a request for comment from the Daily Caller News Foundation.
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Forget what liberals are asking for, liberals are always wrong, so forget them. Get rid of Garland because he is a an incompetent and probably corrupt. He pushes and encourages critical race theory in schools because his family (through his son-in-law) will finically benefit from its implementation