Merrick Garland rebukes 'unfounded attacks' on Justice Department officials in farewell speech

[BumRushDaShow]

Source: NBC News

Jan. 16, 2025, 4:24 PM EST


In a farewell speech to Justice Department staffers, outgoing Attorney General Merrick Garland on Thursday appeared to rebuke attacks from President-elect Donald Trump and his allies who have "wrongly criticized" the department as politically motivated. “The story that has been told by some outside of this building about what has happened inside of it is wrong. You have worked to pursue justice, not politics. That is the truth and nothing can change it," Garland said.

The outgoing attorney general also emphasized the importance of the independence of his agency, amid fear from some Senate Democrats this week that Trump's pick to lead the department, Pam Bondi, will take marching orders from the next president. Trump has repeatedly attacked the justice system as politicized and corrupt, taking aim especially at the prosecutors, Department of Justice officials and the judges presiding over criminal cases against him.

The norms of the Justice Department, Garland said Thursday, "include our commitment to guaranteeing the independence of the Justice Department from both the White House and the Congress concerning law enforcement investigations and prosecutions."

He added, "We make that commitment not because independence is necessarily constitutionally required, but because it is the only way to ensure that our law enforcement decisions are free from partisan influence.”

Read more: https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/justice-department/merrick-garland-rebukes-unfounded-attacks-justice-department-officials-rcna188026

[BeyondGeography]

1. Oh, that'll leave a mark on his intended audience

They’ve just been beat with a wet noodle.

And to think he never even got a thank you card for appointing one of their hacks to investigate Joe Biden for imaginary crimes.

If there was a worse AG than Merrick Garland for this era I’d like to hear who and how.

Charles Pierce summed it up best after the Hur report was released:

“God save us from the fair-minded. They'll kill the country and wonder how they did it.”

[Rhiannon12866]

2. Accomplishments of the Department of Justice under Attorney General Merrick B. Garland - The Justice Department

Over the past four years, the Justice Department has worked with law enforcement and community partners across the country to drive down violent crime, seize deadly drugs, capture dangerous fugitives, and deter and disrupt threats to national security.

The Justice Department worked to protect the civil rights of everyone in our country, to combat discrimination, to defend federally-protected reproductive rights, and to aggressively prosecute hate crimes.

And the Justice Department has fulfilled its responsibility to uphold the rule of law and to ensure the equal protection of law that is the foundation of our democracy. - 01/16/2025.

[Javaman]

3. ironic really since his inaction on trump basically paved the road for his return. nt

[hadEnuf]

4. Piss off, Mr. Garland.

We were hoping to hurl a wildcat at these monsters but instead we wound up with a beached whale.


(quote with respect to Winston Churchill)

[mpcamb]

5. Sit down. Shut up. RELEASE THE REPORT!

[republianmushroom]

6. 'unfounded attacks' chuckle, chuckle...ha ha ha