AG Merrick Garland said he “followed” all proper regulations in DOJ’s indictment of Trump & stood behind the “integrity” of special counsel Jack Smith. Garland handpicked Smith in November, insisting Smith’s decision would be made “independent” of him.
Garland handpicked Smith to be special counsel in November, insisting at the time that Smith’s decision would be made “independent” of him despite his role as the head of the Justice Department and chief law enforcement officer.Trump was indicted on Thursday, and the charges against him were unsealed Friday. The former president pleaded not guilty in the classified documents case at a federal courthouse in Miami on Tuesday.
“Throughout his career, Jack Smith has built a reputation as an impartial and determined prosecutor who leads teams with energy and focus to follow the facts wherever they lead,” Garland said when announcing the special counsel pick in November. “As special counsel, he will exercise independent prosecutorial judgment to decide whether charges should be brought."
It is clear now, following the historic indictment, that Garland did not object to Smith’s charges and did not block them despite it being within his power to do so. Garland had quickly said he “personally approved the decision to seek a search warrant” for the FBI’s unprecedented raid of Mar-a-Lago back in August.
“I can’t talk about particulars about this or any other ongoing criminal matter,” Garland responded, adding that “any questions about this matter will have to be answered by their filings in court.”“As I said when I appointed Mr. Smith, I did so because it underscores the Justice Department’s commitment to both independence and accountability,” Garland said. “Mr. Smith is a veteran career prosecutor.
President Joe Biden is also being investigated by another Garland-appointed special counsel, Robert Hur. Biden’s personal attorneys said they first discovered classified documents in early November 2022 at the Penn Biden Center, located in the nation’s capital. Biden’s lawyers then found more classified documents at his Wilmington home in Delaware, and the DOJ found more when it conducted its own search.
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