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| AG Merrick Garland denounces 'dangerous' and 'outrageous' attacks on DOJ |
Attorney General Merrick Garland condemned the "dangerous" and "outrageous" assaults on prosecutors and personnel within the Justice Department on Thursday, aiming to reassure his staff that he fully supports them.
In an address to his employees, Garland highlighted that there has been a "significant escalation in attacks on the Justice Department’s career attorneys, agents, and other staff" over the past three and a half years.
"These assaults have come in the form of conspiracy theories, dangerous lies, attempts to intimidate and bully dedicated public servants by repeatedly singling them out publicly, as well as threats of real violence," Garland stated. "It’s both dangerous and outrageous that you have to endure such treatment."
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Garland continued, saying, "It’s dangerous to target and intimidate individual employees of this department simply for fulfilling their duties." He also added, "It’s outrageous that you have to face these baseless attacks for upholding what’s right and supporting the rule of law."
The attorney general reassured his staff that both he and other department leaders would "vigorously protect" the Justice Department’s independence from "political interference in our criminal investigations," stressing that they would not allow the department to become "a political weapon" nor would they allow law enforcement to be "used as a tool of politics."
Garland outlined various measures the department has already implemented to safeguard the integrity of its criminal and civil proceedings. These steps include reinstating policies that govern communication between Justice Department employees and both Congress and the White House. Additional actions have included enhancing and clarifying guidelines for sensitive FBI probes and issuing new directives to guide "prosecutorial discretion regarding charges, pleas, and sentencing."
Regarding the criticisms directed at prosecutors, Garland emphasized: "You deserve better. You deserve appreciation for the noble and challenging work you do. You deserve acknowledgment for the integrity and expertise with which you perform your duties."
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Garland further pledged, "You also have my assurance that nothing will ever prevent me from defending this department and the remarkable individuals who serve here."
Since leaving office in 2021, former President Donald Trump has persistently criticized the Justice Department for its investigations into him, along with the subsequent indictments. Trump and his legal team have contended that the department has been weaponized against him primarily to stop him from winning another term as president.
NBC News sought a response from Trump’s campaign regarding Garland’s comments, but they did not immediately provide one.
The former president has often used derogatory terms to describe Justice Department employees, labeling special counsel Jack Smith—who has indicted Trump in separate cases—as "deranged." Trump has also made threats toward prosecutors, writing on Truth Social last year regarding the federal charges of election interference in 2020, "IF YOU GO AFTER ME, I'M COMING AFTER YOU!" Judges have since issued gag orders to prevent Trump from discussing specific officials in the various legal proceedings.
Smith, among others involved in Trump’s cases, has even been the target of a swatting incident.
During the six-week hush money trial in New York earlier this year, Trump regularly claimed outside the courtroom that the Justice Department under Biden was being weaponized against him. Despite this, the case itself wasn’t federal; it was filed by Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg. Trump was ultimately convicted of 34 felony charges for falsifying business records.
Recently, Trump has ramped up his threats, reiterating his plans to use the Justice Department to prosecute those he feels have wronged him while he has been out of office.
Following a recent rally, Trump took to social media, writing: "WHEN I WIN, those who CHEATED will face prosecution to the fullest extent of the law, which will include lengthy prison sentences. Be aware that this legal risk extends to Lawyers, Political Operatives, Donors, Illegal Voters, and Corrupt Election Officials."