Garland condemns “escalation of attacks” and threats against Justice Department employees

In a speech to Justice Department employees on Thursday, Attorney General Merrick Garland condemned “an escalation of attacks” on the department and spoke out against “conspiracy theories, dangerous falsehoods” and “threats of actual violence” that he said would endanger the department's staff in the run-up to the election.

Speaking at the department's headquarters in Washington, the attorney general praised the efforts of federal prosecutors and investigators and emphasized the independence of the Justice Department. The speech was intended as a speech about the department's standards.

“Our standards are a promise that we will not allow this nation to become a country where law enforcement is treated as a political apparatus,” Garland said.

Garland's comments came as the presidential election entered its final phase, nearly four years after the turbulent presidential transition that was overshadowed by the attack on the U.S. Capitol on January 6, 2021.

“Justice Department officials do not bow to politics,” the Attorney General said. “We will vigorously protect the independence of this department from political interference in our criminal investigations.”

The Justice Department has faced heavy criticism from Republicans and Democrats in recent years for its handling of various politically sensitive investigations, including investigations into former President Donald Trump, President Biden and the president’s son, Hunter Biden.

Trump was indicted by special counsel Jack Smith on two counts – once for alleged conduct related to his efforts to stay in power after he Election 2020and another case now dismissed for alleged misuse of classified information. He and his allies accused the government of using the Justice Department as a weapon against them.

Another special counsel, Robert Hur, investigated President Biden after classified documents from his time as vice president were found in his private residence and personal office. Hur decided not to impeach the president and characterized Mr. Biden in particular as an “older man with a bad memory,” a description that sparked an outcry among some Democrats. And Hunter Biden pleaded guilty last week to numerous counts of tax fraud brought by a third special counsel, David Weiss.

Because of the political nature of the investigation, Garland appointed all three men as special prosecutors and said they worked independently of each other. Nevertheless, they suffered setbacks.

An obstacle came in July when the Supreme Court issued a groundbreaking judgment which granted former presidents – including Trump – immunity from prosecution for “official acts” while in office. Trump had brought the case to challenge Smith's election-related charges against the former president.

Among the alleged conduct that the Supreme Court found was off-limits to federal prosecutors were Trump's interactions with Justice Department officials in the aftermath of the 2020 presidential election.

“We will not allow this department to be used as a political weapon,” Garland said Thursday.

In recent years, there has been an increase in threats against Justice Department employees and other law enforcement officials, as well as against members of Congress and their staff. In June, the Attorney General stressed in testimony before Congress that there has been “a disturbing increase in threats of violence against individuals who serve the public.”

“These threats were directed against members of Congress, police officers, judges, jurors, election officials and employees of the Department of Justice itself,” he said at the time.

Against the backdrop of a close presidential campaign and a tense political landscape, the Attorney General reiterated these threats on Thursday.

“It is dangerous to attack and intimidate individuals in this department simply for doing their jobs,” Garland told staff. “It is outrageous that you have to face these unfounded attacks because you are doing the right thing and upholding the rule of law… You deserve better.”

Garland's tenure as attorney general began in the wake of the Capitol breach and pressure from the Trump White House for the Justice Department to interfere in the 2020 presidential election. In his address Thursday, he said he “returned to the Justice Department as attorney general in the belief that our standards are among the most powerful tools we have to ensure compliance with the rule of law.”

“Having served as Attorney General for the past three and a half years, I remain firmly convinced that our standards are more important to our Department and our democracy today than ever before,” Garland added. “Protecting the rule of law is the duty of every generation of DOJ officials. In this time and place, that responsibility rests with you and me.”