Current:Home > NewsAttorney General Merrick Garland says "no one" has told him to indict Trump-DB Wealth Institute B2 Reviews & Ratings
Attorney General Merrick Garland says "no one" has told him to indict Trump
lotradecoin regulatory compliance overview View Date:2024-12-26 01:26:56
Attorney General Merrick Garland told Congress Wednesday that "no one" has told him to indict former President Donald Trump, after Trump claimed in an interview that President Biden told Garland to indict him.
Garland, testifying before the Republican-led House Judiciary Committee for the first time since special counsel Jack Smith indicted Trump in two cases this summer, emphasized the independence of both Smith and the Justice Department. Trump, in a "Meet the Press" interview that aired Sunday, claimed that Mr. Biden told Garland to indict Trump.
"Biden indictments. Excuse me, Biden political indictments. He said to the attorney general —" Trump told NBC's Kristen Welker, who interrupted him. "—he said to the attorney general, 'Indict him.'"
At Wednesday's hearing, Democratic Rep. Adam Schiff asked Garland if the president of the United States asked him to indict Trump.
"No one has told me to indict," Garland said. "And in this case, the decision to indict was made by the special counsel."
In June, Mr. Biden told reporters he had not spoken to Garland as the Justice Department indicted the former president in the documents case, and said he wouldn't speak to Garland.
Trump faces trials in two federal cases next year, both the results of investigations by Smith. One case involves Trump's handling of classified documents, and the other, his alleged actions to stay in office after he lost the 2020 presidential election.
Questions about Hunter Biden probe
Garland faced a slew of questions from the panel, led by Ohio Republican Rep. Jim Jordan, on the Justice Department's handling of the investigation into and charges against Hunter Biden, as well as the Justice Department's prosecution of the former president. "There is one investigation protecting President Biden, there's another attacking President Trump," Jordan claimed.
Garland insisted on the Justice Department's independence.
"As the president himself has said and I reaffirm today, I am not the president's lawyer," Garland said. "I will add, I am not Congress' prosecutor."
Jordan suggested that U.S. Attorney David Weiss, appointed to be special counsel in the Hunter Biden probe and nominated years ago by Trump, is favorable to the Bidens. Hunter Biden is expected to plead not guilty to federal gun charges, after a tentative plea deal fell apart in court earlier this summer.
But Garland testified, "No one that I know of has spoken to the White House about the Hunter Biden case."
Republicans hammered Garland for not offering more information about the Hunter Biden case, to which Garland responded, "I have intentionally not involved myself in the facts of the case, not because I'm trying to get out of a responsibility, but because I'm trying to pursue my responsibility."
- In:
- Donald Trump
- Merrick Garland
Kathryn Watson is a politics reporter for CBS News Digital based in Washington, D.C.
veryGood! (61)
Related
- Jim Harbaugh wants to hire Colin Kaepernick to Chargers' coaching staff. Will the QB bite?
- The Air Around Aliso Canyon Is Declared Safe. So Why Are Families Still Suffering?
- Two-thirds of Americans now have a dim view of tipping, survey shows
- In close races, Republicans attack Democrats over fentanyl and the overdose crisis
- Ryan Reynolds on his 'complicated' relationship with his dad, how it's changed him
- Unemployment aid applications jump to highest level since October 2021
- ¿Cómo ha afectado su vida la ley de aborto estatal? Comparta su historia
- Project Runway Assembles the Most Iconic Cast for All-Star 20th Season
- Justice Department defends Boeing plea deal against criticism by 737 Max crash victims’ families
- Climate Change Is Transforming the Great Barrier Reef, Likely Forever
Ranking
- American Supercar: A first look at the 1,064-HP 2025 Chevrolet Corvette ZR1
- What causes Alzheimer's? Study puts leading theory to 'ultimate test'
- What Is Nitrous Oxide and Why Is It a Climate Threat?
- Paying for mental health care leaves families in debt and isolated
- Meta kills off misinformation tracking tool CrowdTangle despite pleas from researchers, journalists
- Why Black Americans are more likely to be saddled with medical debt
- Concussion protocols are based on research of mostly men. What about women?
- Brain Cells In A Dish Play Pong And Other Brain Adventures
Recommendation
-
'Truffles is just like me:' How a Pennsylvania cat makes kids feel proud to wear glasses
-
How Big Oil Blocked the Nation’s Greenest Governor on Climate Change
-
Trump informed he is target of special counsel criminal probe
-
Schools are closed and games are postponed. Here's what's affected by the wildfire smoke – and when they may resume
-
Kaley Cuoco and Tom Pelphrey announce engagement with new photos
-
After State Rejects Gas Pipeline Permit, Utility Pushes Back. One Result: New Buildings Go Electric.
-
U.S. investing billions to expand high-speed internet access to rural areas: Broadband isn't a luxury anymore
-
Orlando Bloom Lights Up Like a Firework Over Katy Perry's Coronation Performance
Tags
-
lotradecoin daily trading volume statistics
lotradecoin automated trading strategies
best strategies for lotradecoin trading
lotradecoin trading tutorial videos
lotradecoin two-factor authentication setup
lotradecoin wallet
lotradecoin staking
lotradecoin account
lotradecoin regulatory compliance overview