By Jeremy Herb and Hannah Rabinowitz, NCS
(NCS) — Attorney General Merrick Garland forcefully rebuked congressional Republicans who’ve accused the Justice Department of political bias as he opened a contentious House Judiciary Committee hearing in Washington on Wednesday.
“I am not the president’s lawyer,” Garland stated in his opening assertion. “I will also add that I am not Congress’s prosecutor. The Justice Department works for the American people.”
He stated that the Justice Department’s job is “to pursue justice, without fear or favor” and to not “do what is politically convenient” or “take orders from the President, from Congress, or from anyone else about who or what to criminally investigate.”
Garland delivered the assertion as he faces vitriol from Republicans, who accuse him of failing to guard the division from politicization, and dissatisfaction from Democrats, who say the division has been too timid in going after former President Donald Trump.
Republicans on the panel are anticipated to grill Garland with questions concerning the investigation into President Joe Biden’s son Hunter Biden and his now-scuttled plea deal, in addition to particular counsel Jack Smith’s two indictments of Trump.
“The fix is in. Even with the face-saving indictment last week of Hunter Biden, everyone knows the fix is in,” House Judiciary Chairman Jim Jordan stated in his opening assertion.
Against that backdrop, Garland advised lawmakers that the division welcomes “public scrutiny, criticism, and legitimate oversight,” however “singling out individual career public servants who are just doing their jobs is dangerous – particularly at a time of increased threats to the safety of public servants and their families.”
“We will not be intimidated,” Garland stated. “We will do our jobs free from outside interference. And we will not back down from defending our democracy.”
Preview of impeachment inquiry
Wednesday’s hearing is prone to provide a preview of the House Republican’s impeachment inquiry into the president – which could have its first hearing subsequent week – and the partisan brawling that can accompany it.
The bulk of the allegations Speaker Kevin McCarthy stated Republicans are investigating within the impeachment inquiry relate to Hunter Biden’s enterprise dealings, although Republicans have uncovered no evidence to date that the president personally obtained any cash. The House Judiciary Committee has additionally been probing allegations from an IRS whistleblower that the Justice Department investigation into Hunter Biden was politically tainted.
Despite the partisan rancor of the political probes and the looming impeachment inquiry, Garland is unlikely to say a lot about both the Hunter Biden or Trump investigations as a result of they’re ongoing.
Rep. Jerry Nadler of New York, the panel’s prime Democrat, charged that Republicans had “poisoned” the committee’s oversight function.
“House Republicans will use their time today to talk about long-discredited conspiracy theories and Hunter Biden’s laptop. And they will do it because they care more about Donald Trump than they do about their own constituents,” Nadler stated.
Investigation into plea deal
Jordan started an investigation into Hunter Biden’s now-scuttled plea deal in July, and he’s requested US Attorney-turned particular counsel David Weiss, who negotiated the plea settlement with Hunter Biden, to testify earlier than the committee in October.
The IRS whistleblower, Gary Shapley, has alleged that Weiss stated at an October 2022 assembly that he was not the deciding authority on whether or not to deliver expenses towards Hunter Biden. Weiss, nevertheless, denied he made that assertion, and others within the assembly have testified they don’t remember him saying that, both.
Weiss’ June plea agreement with Hunter Biden on tax and gun expenses – during which the president’s son agreed to plead responsible to federal tax expenses and was prone to keep away from jail time – fell apart in July amid scrutiny from a federal choose. Weiss subsequently requested particular counsel standing from Garland and indicted Hunter Biden on gun expenses final week. Hunter Biden advised the court docket Tuesday he’ll plead not responsible.
In addition, Jordan, a prime Trump ally on Capitol Hill, has began an investigation into Smith’s twin probes of the previous president. Jordan has additionally proposed price range cuts to the FBI and DOJ over the investigations.
Several House Republicans – together with McCarthy – have floated an impeachment of the legal professional common, though these calls have quieted down as House Republicans have turned their impeachment lens on President Joe Biden himself.
This story has been up to date with further developments.
The-NCS-Wire
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NCS’s Annie Grayer contributed to this report.