Attorney General Merrick Garland spoke to reporters Wednesday about the Justice Department’s indictment of former President Donald Trump.
Garland was asked by reporters about Special Counsel Jack Smith’s indictment of Trump on 37 counts following an investigation into whether Trump mishandled classified documents and prevented the government from retrieving them. (RELATED: Biden Admin Arrests Donald Trump)
AG Garland on prosecuting Biden’s 2024 opponent: “My role has been completely consistent with the regulations that set forth the responsibilities of the attorney general under the special counsel regulations, and I followed those regulations.” pic.twitter.com/pag4NrTuqc
— Tom Elliott (@tomselliott) June 14, 2023
“So, as you know, I can’t talk about the particular particulars of this or any other ongoing criminal matter. As I said when I appointed Mr. Smith, I did so because it underscores the Justice Department’s commitment to both independence and accountability,” Garland stated after an unrelated DOJ event, per Mediaite. “Mr. Smith is a veteran career prosecutor. He has assembled a group of experienced and talented prosecutors and agents who share his commitment to integrity and the rule of law. Any questions about this matter will have to be answered by their filings in court.”
Garland insisted his role in the prosecution is consistent with special counsel procedures. “[S]o my role is completely consistent with the regulations that set forth responsibilities to the attorney general under the Special Counsel regulations, and I followed those regulations,” he said.
Trump called Smith a “deranged lunatic” in a Friday post on Truth Social. “This is the man who caused the Lois Lerner catastrophe with the IRS. He went after Evangelicals and Great Americans of Faith,” Trump said. “The United States had to apologize, and pay major damages for what this deranged lunatic did. He had a unanimous loss in the Supreme Court. His wife is a Trump Hater, just as he is a Trump Hater—a deranged ‘psycho’ that shouldn’t be involved in any case having to do with ‘Justice,’ other than to look at Biden as a criminal, which he is!”
Trump was arrested Tuesday and pleaded not guilty at a Miami courthouse. That evening, he spoke to a crowd of supporters in Bedminster, New Jersey, about the charges, calling Smith a “thug.” (RELATED: REPORT: Trump-Appointed Judge To Initially Oversee Federal Case)
President Biden is also being investigated by a DOJ Special Counsel for allegedly mishandling classified documents. Biden’s lawyers and Justice Department officials discovered classified documents in his Washington, D.C., office at the Penn Biden Center and in his Delaware residence.