Merrick Garland Will Vow To Prosecute White Supremacists In 'Heinous' Capitol Attack

Garland plans to take on the prosecution of white supremacists who were behind the deadly Capitol insurrection that former President Trump incited last month.

In his column about Garland, Harry Litman neglected to mention the irony that McConnell is implicitly calling for the prosecution of Trump by the Department of Justice, which most likely will be headed by Garland, the very person for whom McConnell refused to hold confirmation hearings for a seat on the Supreme Court for nearly a year. He highlights a key mission for the division: to protect the rights of all Americans and particularly the most vulnerable.

Minorities still face discrimination in housing, education and the jobs market, and suffer more than others the impacts of the coronavirus pandemic and climate change, Garland said in his statement.

As Breitbart News reported, Garland, who now serves as the chief judge of the United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit, gained notoriety in 2016 when former President Barack Obama nominated him to the Supreme Court of the United States to fill the vacancy left by the death of Justice Antonin Scalia.

Garland, who must be confirmed by the evenly split Senate, is expected this time to gain enough support from Republicans for his nomination to go through.

To the editor: Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) strongly castigated Trump following his impeachment trial, saying: "We have a criminal justice system in this country".

Garland, 68, worked in the Justice Department before becoming a judge almost 24 years ago. Biden has pledged not to interfere with the ongoing investigation. You are not the president or the vice president's lawyer. "It's to the law, the Constitution, the people of this nation to guarantee justice", Mr. Biden added.

Garland could also face questions during the Senate hearing about a possible investigation of New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo.

Garland's opening statement was released ahead of his Monday appearance before the Senate Judiciary Committee.

Garland, 68, reportedly said if confirmed, he would reaffirm "policies that protect the independence of the department from partisan influence in law enforcement investigations (and) that strictly regulate communications with the White House".

Garland got a boost Friday when four former attorneys general, including two Republicans, were among bipartisan groups of Justice Department alums and former federal judges who announced for the nominee. The group included 61 former federal judges, as well as over 150 former US attorneys and senior DOJ officials, including former Attorneys General Eric Holder, Loretta Lynch and Michael Mukasey.

"Judge Garland approaches the law with an unwavering commitment to fairness and justice", the judges said.

© Joe Raedle, Getty Images Then-President George W. Bush embraces U.S. Attorney General Alberto Gonzales as he walks offstage after the Hispanic Chamber of Commerce in April 2005 in Washington, D.C. Gonzales has "fond feelings" about his service. "Judge Garland is the right person to ensure the fair administration of justice, whether related to national security, public integrity, civil rights, antitrust, crime, or other pressing issues". He graduated from Harvard College summa cum laude in 1974 and Harvard Law School magna cum laude in 1977.