Asked Friday if the Justice Department was handling the case in a fair manner, Attorney General Merrick Garland insisted, “We are following the facts and the law.”
CNN correspondent Evan Perez spoke to Garland about managing the Justice Department. So far, “you've appointed more special prosecutors than any other attorney general,” he observed, “and you did this because you wanted to make sure that there was some independence from the way the Department of Justice was run.” '' he added.
Perez then brought up one of the key accusations the Justice Department received from an unexpected source, saying, “But even Hunter Biden, the president's son, is accused of political bias in the prosecution launched against him.” The Justice Department has criticized this. How can we reassure the public?” Given the fact that these special prosecutors are reporting to you, do you think these things are being handled in an independent manner? ”
Mr. Garland defended the Justice Department under scrutiny, arguing that the nature of the case did not affect the department's ability to do its job.
Asked in an interview whether the Justice Department was handling the case in a fair manner, Attorney General Merrick Garland insisted, “We follow the facts and the law.” (Screenshot from CNN)
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“Look, we have reaffirmed and clarified this Department of Justice code,” Garland responded. “We will follow the facts and the law wherever they lead us. Politics is not part of our decisions. It would be inappropriate, but it is not. The department has rules regarding the appointment of special prosecutors. There are rules and we follow them.”
He went on to say, “In every case, we have appointed a former veteran career prosecutor, whatever their current position.”
When asked by a news correspondent if he thought they were independent enough, Garland replied, “Yes, they are independent of me by regulation.”
Hunter Biden, son of U.S. President Joe Biden, speaks to members of the media outside the U.S. Capitol on Wednesday, December 13, 2023, in Washington, DC, USA. (Tierney L. Cross/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
AG Garland testified that Weiss had full authority in the Hunter Biden investigation, but never discussed specifics.
He continued, “So I want the public to know that we have cut off political interference, not only from what we have done so far, but also from the outcome of the case and the way the special prosecutor has proceeded. I hope they do,” he said. Of this. “
Garland and the Justice Department have been accused of political bias, particularly regarding the investigation into the president's son.
Over the summer, IRS whistleblowers testified before Congress that U.S. Attorney David Weiss requested special prosecutor powers from the Justice Department in 2022 but was denied. They argued that politics influenced prosecutors' decisions.
Garland has repeatedly insisted he never discussed the investigation with Weiss and said prosecutors have the tools necessary to continue their long-running investigation into Hunter Biden, but then asked Weiss in August. Authorized special prosecutor.
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Weiss indicted Biden in December for a “four-year conspiracy” in which the president's son failed to pay federal income taxes from January 2017 to October 2020 and also filed false tax returns.
FOX News' Brooke Singman contributed to this report.
