Tearful Merrick Garland discusses his family fleeing the Holocaust as he furiously denies interfering with the Hunter Biden probe

Attorney General Merrick Garland became emotional as he explained to Congress how he treated his position with respect as a way to “repay this country the debt that my family owes” for accepting them while fleeing the Holocaust.

During his opening remarks before the House Judiciary Committee on Wednesday, Garland insisted that he did not inappropriately interfere in the investigation into Hunter, President Joe Biden’s son.

His voice cracked and tears appeared in his eyes at one point as he was brought before the panel to testify against Republican accusations that his agency exhibited extreme political bias.

Specifically, Republicans are angered that Garland decided to choose Jack Smith as special counsel investigating 53-year-old Hunter Biden. The hearing comes days after Smith indicted Hunter on three criminal charges for lying on a federal form to purchase a gun.

But Biden’s Justice Department chief insisted: “I will repeat it and repeat it if necessary — I did not intervene…I left it up to Mr. Weiss whether or not to bring charges.”

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. »