(Originally published in CNS News.)
After taking what felt like an eternity to get him there, Attorney General Merrick Garland finally went face-to-face with the Senate Judiciary Committee, who was looking to get answers on a number of burning subjects. These included an unfortunate FBI memo that has since been withdrawn, as well as complaints surrounding the Department of Justice and, of course, Hunter Biden.
But it just seemed like a field of denials, with little to no detail as to why these issues popped up in the first place. Seemed like he was just taking the safe way around them instead of providing the details the Committee was looking for. One thing’s for sure, though – they have more reason to dig further into these investigations.
For now, let’s look at some of the items he addressed:
Hunter Biden
Garland made it clear that he has no desire to get involved with US Attorney in Delaware David C. Weiss’ investigation into Hunter Biden. “I have pledged not to interfere with that investigation, and I have carried through on my pledge,” he explained.
But…that’s a little hard to take. The reason is because Garland is working so close with Hunter’s father, President Joe Biden. And despite the questionable comments Hunter has made about his infamous laptop, I’m sure Joe is doing whatever he can to keep his son out of trouble. That probably includes having Garland keep tabs on what’s happening in the investigation, without the “interfere” factor.
The FBI and Their Battle Against Catholics
Next up, we have the Department of Justice. A harsh FBI field office memo made the rounds previously, suggesting that the FBI was looking closely at “radical traditionalist” Catholics. The memo has since vanished without a trace, and Garland simply dismissed it as “appalling.”
He noted that the FBI “has withdrawn it, and it’s now looking into how this could ever happen.”
I think it’s plain to see how something like this “could ever happen,” Attorney General.
Not to mention, Garland noted that he doesn’t believe “any informants” are “aimed at Catholic churches.” He didn’t flat out deny it, he just noted “I don’t believe.” And though he made it clear that “We have a rule against investigations based on First Amendment activity, and Catholic churches are obviously First Amendment,” that doesn’t necessarily mean the Bureau didn’t bend this particular rule.
And to conclude, he added that the department “protects all religions and all ideologies,” without having “any bias.” I don’t buy that in the least, especially considering the raid on Mar-a-Lago. There’s bias for miles.
The Department of Justice
Now we come to the DOJ, and their reported interference with parents’ ability to make online complaints about their schools. We saw the 2021 letter from The National School Boards Association in which it asked the DOJ to “deal with” these complainers, calling their activity along the lines of “domestic terrorism.”
There have been rumors that the Department was keeping a close eye on these people, but, surprise, Garland dismissed those too. “I did not issue any memorandum directing the investigation of parents who are concerned about their children,” he explained during his meeting.”
But it’s what he said after this statement that’s a bit concerning. “This is about the third time I’m being asked about the same memorandum and each time I’ve said, and I hope that the senators would go ahead and advise their constituents in the same way, that this is not what we do.”
Gosh, sorry, Attorney General. It’s just the Committee trying to get answers regarding your Department of Justice and FBI. Until the real answers are revealed, questions are going to get asked. That’s about it, really.
The bottom line is this briefing didn’t really clear much of the air. There’s no discussion how that troublesome FBI memo came to light; there’s no official response to that school board letter asking for parents to be “dealt with,” as it were; and, surprise, we’re still wondering what’s happening with Hunter Biden.
There is hope, at least. The Committee now has more information to work upon, and, hopefully, we’ll see some results from its ongoing investigations. Here’s to hoping we get the answers we deserve soon enough.
