AG Garland: Justice does not 'shy away' from controversial Jan. 6 investigations
WASHINGTON–Attorney General Merrick Garland said the Justice Department will "not shy away" from Jan. 6 investigations that may be seen as inherently "controversial or sensitive or political."
"To do that would undermine an element of the rule of law that we treat like cases alike without regard to the subject matter," Garland said during a brief exchange with reporters Thursday, marking his first year as the nation's chief law enforcement officer.
Garland declined to comment on subjects of the continuing investigation or the nature of the department's contacts with a special House committee investigating the Capitol assault.
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Last week, the House panel disclosed in court documents that it gathered evidence indicating former President Donald Trump and others "engaged in a criminal conspiracy" to overturn the 2020 election, prompting some lawmakers to call on the Justice Department to examine the former president's role in promoting false claims of election fraud.
The House committee's legal filing, part of an effort to force the disclosure of documents from Trump legal adviser John Eastman, also has ramped up public pressure on the Justice Department to take action.
But Garland signaled Thursday that the department would not bend to such outside pressures.
"What we will avoid, and what we must avoid, is any partisan element of our decision making about cases," the attorney general said. "That is what I'm intent on ensuring."
Since his confirmation last year, Garland has indicated that the Jan. 6 investigation remains a top priority, though he has carefully avoided questions about where the inquiry is leading and whether Trump may be a target.
Earlier this year, Garland vowed to pursue perpetrators of the attack at "any level," saying authorities would "follow the facts wherever they lead."
"The Justice Department remains committed to holding all Jan. 6th perpetrators, at any level, accountable under law – whether they were present that day or were otherwise criminally responsible for the assault on our democracy," Garland said in a speech as the nation readied to mark the anniversary of the Capitol attack. "We will follow the facts wherever they lead."
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