Attorney General Merrick Garland to offer forceful defense of Justice Department before Congress Tuesday

Attorney General Merrick Garland is expected to slam the “repeated attacks” and “conspiracy” theories floated by Republicans about the Justice Department being weaponized against former President Donald Trump during his opening statements to Congress on Tuesday, according to prepared remarks shared with CNN.

Attorney General Merrick Garland is expected to slam the “repeated attacks” and “conspiracy” theories floated by Republicans about the Justice Department being weaponized against former President Donald Trump during his opening statements to Congress on Tuesday, according to prepared remarks shared with CNN. Garland’s forceful defense of the department and federal law enforcement will begin what is likely to be a tense, hours-long hearing before members of the House Judiciary Committee. The hearing is scheduled to begin at 10 am ET. In his most explicit comments since his confirmation in 2020, Garland will tell members of the House Judiciary Committee that recent attacks on the Justice Department “are unprecedented and unfounded.” “Certain members of this Committee and the Oversight Committee are seeking contempt as a means of obtaining – for no legitimate purpose – sensitive law enforcement information that could harm the integrity of future investigations,” Garland will say, according to the prepared remarks. The attorney general was called to Capitol Hill for a hearing on the department’s work under his leadership, including efforts to combat violent crime and investigate potential threats to the US stemming from conflicts abroad. But Garland, who is at the center of Republican-led contempt proceedings, is prepared to forcefully push back against his critics.