Merrick Garland became emotional for a second time during a court hearing Wednesday as he spoke about his family’s Jewish ancestry.
The attorney general got into a heated exchange with Republican Rep. Jeff Van Drew when asked whether Garland, who is Jewish, thought traditional Catholics were violent extremists.
Van Drew was referring to the creation by two Pacific Coast FBI field offices that wrote a memo claiming that traditional Catholics are domestic terrorists.
“The idea that someone from my family background could discriminate against a religion is so outrageous! So absurd! Garland took a shot at Rep. Van Drew during a tense back-and-forth.
AG Garland appeared before the House Judiciary Committee to testify as Republicans alleged the Justice Department had political bias against them.
During his opening speech, Garland noted that he felt “indebted” to the United States after taking in his grandmother, who was fleeing the Holocaust. During his opening statement, Garland choked up and tears came to his eyes while discussing his ancestry.
He became emotional again when speaking with Van Drew about potential bias against Catholics.
Attorney General Merrick Garland became emotional a second time during a House hearing Wednesday during a heated exchange with Rep. Jeff Van Drew over whether he thought “traditional Catholics are violent extremists.
Garland, who is of Jewish descent, responded to Van Drew: “The idea that someone from my family background could discriminate against any religion is so outrageous! So absurd!
“The two-tier system of justice is clear, and so are the American public. And the responsibility lies with the man in charge. That man is you,” Van Drew said during questioning by the DOJ chief of Biden.
“The DOJ’s actions are your responsibility,” he continued.
“Attorney General, I need a simple yes or no to the following. Just yes or no because we don’t have much time. Do you agree that traditional Catholics are violent extremists, yes or no?
“Let me respond to what you said in this long list of…” Garland began before being interrupted by Van Drew.
He insisted he wanted to “answer all” of Van Drew’s suggestions, not just the last “yes or no” question.
“Attorney general, I control the time,” said the New Jersey Republican. “I’m going to ask you to answer the questions I ask. »
“Through the presidency, I ask you, do you agree that traditional Catholics are violent extremists? Answer the question,” he urged when Garland tried to turn away.
“I have no idea what traditional means here, let me just…” the attorney general tried again.
“Catholics!” » Van Drew replied. “Catholics who go to church. »
“Can I answer your question?” » Garland said before appearing in tears again.
“The idea that someone from my family background could discriminate against a religion is so outrageous! So absurd! » he said in a breaking voice.
Garland assured that he and the FBI director were “appalled” by the anti-Catholic memo.
Republicans called out Garland as their anger grew over his decision to choose David Weiss as special counsel investigating 53-year-old Hunter Biden.
The hearing comes days after Weiss indicted Hunter on three criminal charges for lying on a federal form to purchase a gun.
But the head of the Justice Department insisted: “I will repeat it and repeat it if necessary – I did not intervene… I left it to Mr Weiss to file a complaint or not.”
Attorney General Merrick Garland choked up during his opening remarks at a court hearing Wednesday when he talked about his “debt” to the United States for taking in his family fleeing the Holocaust.
Republicans are angered that Garland chose Jack Smith as special counsel investigating Hunter Biden. “Americans believe that today, in our country, the law is applied unevenly. They believe that because it is,” Judiciary Chairman Jim Jordan (R-Ohio) said in his opening statement.
“Americans believe that today, in our country, the law is applied unevenly. They believe that because it is,” Judiciary Chairman Jim Jordan (R-Ohio) said in his opening statement.
Moments later, Garland fired back, saying: “Our job is not to do what is politically convenient. Our job is not to take orders from the President, Congress, or anyone else about who or what to criminally investigate.
“I’m not the president’s lawyer,” Garland continued. “I will add that I am not the prosecutor of Congress. The Department of Justice works for the American people.
Wednesday’s hearing highlighted the intensifying partisan brawls that will continue at the Capitol next Thursday with House Republicans’ first impeachment hearing against President Biden and his family’s business dealings.
Judicial Ranking Member Jerry Nadler said in his opening statement: “Republicans will continue to do what they have done for years: discredit anyone who does not further their political goals – at all costs.
Rep. Mike Johnson (R-La.) asked Garland if he had “personal contact with anyone at FBI headquarters regarding the Hunter Biden investigation.”
Garland said he couldn’t “remember the answer.”
“I’m sorry,” Rep. Johnson interrupted, “you don’t recall if you spoke with anyone at FBI headquarters about an investigation into the president’s son?”
The attorney general responded by reiterating that he was committed to allowing Special Prosecutor Weiss to conduct his investigation without interference, but said, “I don’t believe I have done that.”
Garland repeatedly said during Wednesday’s hearing that he did not “interfere” in the investigation into Hunter Biden.
During his opening speech, Garland got personal, nearly breaking down in tears as he told the story of his family fleeing Europe during the Holocaust and coming to the United States.
“My grandmother was one of five children born in what is now Belarus. She arrived in the United States with two of her siblings, the other two did not. These two were killed in the Holocaust. Without a doubt, without America, the same thing would have happened to my grandmother,” he said.
“But this country welcomed her and under this protection she was able to live without fear of persecution.” This protection is what sets this country apart from so many others. The protection of law, the rule of law, is the foundation of our system of government.
Garland added: “Repaying this country the debt that my family owes for our lives has been the focus of my entire professional career.”
“That’s why I served in the Justice Department under five different attorneys general, under Democratic and Republican administrations. It’s why I spent more than 25 years upholding the rule of law as a judge, and it’s why I left a life-long judgeship to return to the Department of Justice a two and a half years. And that’s why I’m here today.
This anecdote was Garland’s way of explaining why it was so important to him to treat everyone the same and apply justice the same way.
“Our job is to uphold the rule of law – that means we apply the same laws to everyone,” he insisted.
The attorney general insisted: “There is not one set of laws for the powerful and another for the powerless, one for the rich and one for the poor, one for the Democrats and another for the Republicans. »