Attorney General Merrick Garland on Thursday defended himself from criticism, much of it coming from the White House, over references to President Biden’s misremembering in Special Counsel Robert Hur’s report.
Garland, 71, argued that it would be “ridiculous” to remove Huh’s assessment of the 81-year-old president’s mental health from the Justice Department’s findings in the Biden secrets investigation.
“The idea that the attorney general would redact or redact or censor the special counsel’s explanation of why he reached the decisions he made is absurd,” Garland said. Garland said in his speech. Ministry of Justice press conferencein response to a reporter’s question about whether the words Xu used to characterize Biden’s mental state were “appropriate.”
Last month, days before the special counsel’s report was released, White House Counsel Ed Siskel and Biden’s personal attorney Bob Bauer sent a letter to Garland saying that “President Biden’s “Multiple defamatory statements regarding memory” and “this comment.” Violating longstanding Department of Justice practices and policies. ” According to Politico.
In a separate letter to Garland, White House Counsel Richard Sauber and Bauer wrote, “Special Counsel Herr’s decision to include these unnecessary and unwarranted comments,” White House Counsel Richard Sauber and Bauer wrote, according to the newspaper. “We oppose it in the strongest possible terms.”
In testimony before the House Judiciary Committee earlier this month, Hoar said Sauber and Bauer asked him to “correct” his account of Biden’s memory loss before releasing a report defending the decision not to charge him. I acknowledged what was asked of me. Preservation of National Security Materials.
“They requested certain edits and changes to the draft report,” Ho told lawmakers.
Mr. Biden reportedly told aides and advisers that he had not done enough to suppress politically damaging parts of the special counsel’s report that cited Mr. Garland’s diminished mental capacity. It is said that he confessed.
Anonymous Biden advisers have also argued that Garland should have personally requested that Herr’s report be redacted. According to Politico.
Garland on Thursday denied suggesting anyone in the White House should have redacted parts of the special counsel’s report.
“I didn’t say that. No one in the White House said that to me,” he told reporters.
“When the President announced my nomination, he said directly to me and to the American people that he intended to restore the independence and integrity of the Department of Justice,” Garland added. “And he wanted me to work as a lawyer for the American people, not a lawyer for the president.”
“I truly believe that’s what he meant then, and I truly believe that’s what he meant now.”
Mr. Hsu did not recommend charges against Mr. Biden because he believed a jury would see Mr. Biden as a “well-intentioned old man with a bad memory.”
