Attorney General Merrick Garland strongly defended recent Justice Department moves that appeared to give legal cover to former President Donald Trump and his appointees
Attorney General Merrick Garland on Wednesday strongly defended recent Justice Department moves that appeared to give legal cover to former President Donald Trump and his appointees.
“The fundamental rule of a democracy, or a republic, or a republican democracy, and the essence of the rule of law … is that like case be treated alike, that there not be one rule for Democrats and another for Republicans, that there not be one rule for friends and another for foes,” Garland told the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee.
Garland said the decisions to defend cases involving the prior administration were “not always easy.” “We have reversed policies of the previous administration many times over the last three months,” the attorney general said. “We have initiated our own policies.” Garland asserted that each recent administration added new protections for journalists, although there is no indication the Trump administration did so. The attorney general addressed the issue in response to a question from Sen. Jeanne Shaheen , who noted that reporters for several news organizations were notified in recent weeks that their phone and email information was sought, and in some cases obtained, during leak probes.
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