(Jacob Bruns, Headline USA) Attorney General Merrick Garland was caught in a lie over his Department of Justice’s refusal to arrest protesters who illegally rioted outside the homes of Supreme Court justices.
Sen. Katie Britt, R-Ala., revealed segments from a DOJ training slideshow given to her by a “whistleblower in DOJ who was concerned about the attorney general’s misleading testimony before the Judiciary Committee,” the Daily Signal reported.
According to the slides, federal marshals should not prosecute “unless absolutely necessary, criminal enforcement actions involving the protest or protestors, particularly on public space.”
The slides even comment directly on the situation outside the homes of the several Supreme Court Justices, noting that federal officials should pass off the responsibility to local courts.
“Making arrests and initiating prosecutions is not the goal of the USMS presence at SCOTUS residences,” the slides instructed. “Enforcement actions that involve both federal and state/local crimes, particularly those that involve public space, should be conducted by state and local authorities, if possible.”
It is a federal crime according to 18 U.S.C. § 1507, Garland has admitted, to protest outside a judge’s home with the intent of influencing that judge.
Britt noted that the DOJ actively discouraged U.S. Marshals from arresting protesters because it might be “counterproductive” to arrest people that the DOJ was determined to “not charge and prosecute.”
The Senator also suggested that–per the instructions of the slideshow–nobody associated with the protests has been prosecuted.
“Not a single person has been prosecuted for illegally harassing Supreme Court justices outside of their homes,” she said. “The reason is crystal clear: The Department of Justice has willfully chosen not to enforce federal law.”
Garland, however, despite his previous admissions, has argued that arrests might make cause protesters to turn more violent.
“Decisions have to be made on the ground about what is the best way to protect those lives,” Garland said.
As a result of his lack of action, Republicans in Congress have gone so far as to call for Garland’s impeachment.
“That’ll be a decision that will be made by the entire conference,” said Rep. Jim Jordan, R-Ohio before last November’s midterm elections.
