[ad_1]
Driving the news: Per his prepared opening statement released on Saturday night, Garland plans to tell the Senate Judiciary Committee that if confirmed, he will fight discrimination and domestic terrorism.
- He will highlight his career as a prosecutor – including his oversight of the investigation into domestic terrorist Timothy McVeigh and the Oklahoma City bombing in 1995, which killed 168 people.
- On the Capitol seat, Garland will say he intends to “oversee the prosecution of white supremacists and others who stormed the Capitol on January 6 – a heinous attack that aimed to disrupt a cornerstone of our democracy: the peaceful transfer of power to a new elected government. “
- Regarding the independence of the post of attorney general, Garland will say, “The president appoints the attorney general as counsel – not for an individual, but for the people of the United States.”
For memory: Garland, 68, is originally from Chicago and a graduate of Harvard University and Harvard Law School, which has served on the United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit since 1997.
- He was appointed by President Obama in 2016 to succeed the late Judge Antonin Scalia.
- But then Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) Prevented that, insisting the replacement should be chosen by the newly elected president later this year. Judge Neil Gorsuch was then confirmed instead under the Trump administration.
To note: Former Trump administration attorney general Bill Barr has been criticized throughout his tenure by Democrats, who accused him of political interference in criminal matters on behalf of the former president – which ‘he firmly rejected.
- At his last press conference as attorney general in December, Barr took the rare step of publicly contradicting Trump on several topical issues, including Hunter Biden, the voting machines, and the Russia behind the federal agency hack. .
Read Garland’s full opening statement, via DocumentCloud:
Editor’s Note: This article has been updated with new details throughout.
[ad_2]
Source link