Former Acting Attorney General Matt Whitaker explained to Sen. Marsha Blackburn (R-TN) this week how President Joe Biden&#8217;s Department of Justice is a &#8220;two-tiered system of justice&#8221; in which conservatives often get the short end of the stick.
Whitaker made the remarks during an appearance on Blackburn&#8217;s podcast &#8220;Unmuted&#8221; while the two discussed Attorney General Merrick Garland&#8217;s recent congressional hearing.
&#8220;Why hasn&#8217;t the Attorney General moved forward with these prosecutions of people that have committed domestic terrorism, have committed these fire bombings, are breaking federal law protesting outside of Justice&#8217;s homes?&#8221; Blackburn asked.
&#8220;It boils down to one priorities and second just prosecutorial will,&#8221; Whitaker said. &#8220;If they want to, they can prosecute anyone and everyone for crimes. But in these cases, you know, crisis pregnancy centers and the justice&#8217;s houses, you know, clear violations of federal law, this Justice department is just ignoring it. They&#8217;re not doing the will of the people. And, you know, to your point at the beginning, I think this is a two-tiered system of justice.&#8221;
&#8220;And one of the things I saw Attorney General Garland really not seem to comprehend is that what is happening, which is the, the people on the right, conservatives, Republicans seem to be singled out, uh, for extra prosecutorial attention,&#8221; he added. &#8220;And while folks on the left, uh, you know, get away with clear violations of federal law and there doesn&#8217;t seem to be any desire to bring them in and hold them accountable to the rule of law.&#8221;
WATCH:
<iframe loading="lazy" title="Former Acting Attorney General Dismantles Lies by Merrick Garland" width="500" height="281" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/HWN0UFWNCtc?feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen></iframe>
TRANSCRIPT:
<blockquote>SEN. MARSHA BLACKBURN (R-TN): Under Attorney General Merrick Garland&#8217;s watch, the Biden Justice Department has really created two tiers of justice. And as we had our hearing this week, that became so evident in the way that the Attorney General chose to answer questions or maybe some things that he chose not to say at all. But we have someone who does know how the Department of Justice works and does know the answer to some of those questions. And we are so pleased to welcome him. He&#8217;s been the former, former Acting Attorney General, and he is also the host of Liberty and Justice. It is on iHeartRadio, Matt Whitaker. I am delighted that you are joining us for &#8216;Unmuted.&#8217;
MATT WHITAKER, FORMER ACTING ATTORNEY GENERAL: Senator, it is great to be with you and, uh, I was so honored to get the request and I immediately jumped on it cause I&#8217;m a big fan and, uh, really I think what you&#8217;re doing in the Senate is pretty awesome.
BLACKBURN: Well, thank you so much. Let&#8217;s get right into this hearing yesterday. You know, the Attorney General seemed not to have answers when it came to the picketing that&#8217;s taken place outside of the justice houses or the protests that have taken place around pregnancy centers, even some of the fire bombings that have happened at churches and at pregnant pregnancy centers. So why hasn&#8217;t the Attorney General moved forward with these prosecutions of people that have committed domestic terrorism, have committed these fire bombings, are breaking federal law protesting outside of Justice&#8217;s homes?
WHITAKER: Yeah, that&#8217;s such an important point and one that, you know, I heard you and others yesterday make, and, you know, I think it&#8217;s, it boils down to one priorities and second, uh, just prosecutorial will, uh, it&#8217;s not hard as we&#8217;ve seen. Uh, they did it, you know, sort of in, in another context, uh, where they could take all the cell phone data, all the, you know, uh, video camera, uh, uh, face recognition software, all the technological tools, uh, that the feds and the DOJ have available. And if they want to, they can prosecute anyone and everyone for, uh, crimes. But in these cases, you know, crisis pregnancy centers and, um, you know, the justices houses, um, you know, clear violations of federal law, uh, it is this Justice department is just ignoring it. They&#8217;re not doing, um, the will of the people. And, you know, to your point, uh, at the beginning, I think this is a two-tiered system of justice. And one of the things I saw Attorney General Garland really not seem to comprehend is, is the what is happening, which is the, the people on the right conservatives, Republicans seem to be singled out, uh, for extra prosecutorial attention. And while folks on the left, uh, you know, get away with clear violations of federal law and there doesn&#8217;t seem to be any desire to bring them, uh, and hold them accountable to the rule of law,
BLACKBURN: What did you make of, uh, the Attorney General&#8217;s response to me when I asked him, tried to drill down with him on why he had not gone after a group Jane&#8217;s Revenge that took credit for bombing fire bombing a, a pregnancy center in Nashville, the Hope Clement Clinic. And he said, well, most of the time these individuals did their crimes at night and they were harder to find than people that were out peacefully protesting on the sidewalks during the day. What did you make of that?
WHITAKER: Uh, again, it just, it boils down to he has no desire to get to the bottom of who Jane&#8217;s Revenge is. Whether it is a domestic terrorist organization, whether, you know, these individuals are well-funded, well organized, you know, the left, uh, we&#8217;ve seen this, uh, behavior several times, you know, Antifa comes to mind. And what happened also in places like Portland and Seattle where, um, you know, this Department of Justice just seems, uh, really unwilling to, uh, go against, uh, political violence. And, and, and, and I understand, and I know you understand as well, the importance of the First Amendment and people&#8217;s right to speak, but at the same time, we have, as a society and as a, as a self-governing people decided that there is a line and crossing that line is a federal crime. Uh, obviously, you know, at the Department of Justice, we&#8217;ve brought down violent biker gangs. We have, you know, a long history of figuring out these organizations, figuring out who their leaders and members are, and then prosecuting them. And in this case, in the case of James Revenge that you pointed out and you&#8217;re questioning, uh, this Department of Justice has no desire, not only to bring those people, uh, to account, but really to stop that political violence. And that&#8217;s the scariest thing. If there is a favored political violence, Biden administration, like we&#8217;re seeing in the Biden administration, uh, if you&#8217;re for abortion, uh, and, and commit violent acts in furtherance of trying to advance that agenda, they seem to turn the other, uh, uh, blind eye and not be willing to bring those cases.
BLACKBURN: Yeah, I think you&#8217;re right about that. And not only is it the two tiers when it comes to that political violence, we see it in bias also. And I thought his comments concerning the Hunter Biden, uh, case where he says, you know, he&#8217;s not interfering with the Delaware Attorney General, uh, in that investigation, how are we ever going to know what truly happened with Hunter Biden, James Biden, Biden Incorporated, and the president?
WHITAKER: Yeah. And, and I, I, I watched that very carefully. I&#8217;ve been, as you know, an outspoken, uh, proponent of, you know, a blind Department of Justice that holds everyone to account no matter what their powerful political, uh, lineage might be, including the Bidens. And I think US Attorney Weiss, uh, certainly is in control of that. But the, the ag was not honest in a couple areas that concerns me. One is, unlike a special counsel, he is still going to have, um, you know, a lot of ability to control that investigation because it&#8217;s in the line of command up through the Deputy Attorney General. That&#8217;s one concern. And the second concern is many of these crimes require under the US Attorney&#8217;s Manual and Department of Justice prosecutorial guidelines, some component, uh, whether it&#8217;s, uh, the criminal division, uh, whether it&#8217;s, uh, the, um, national Security Division or others to also sign off on that is, that&#8217;s another way, kind of almost an invisible hand to control that US attorney, uh, without, you know, saying we&#8217;re, we&#8217;re interfering. But there is certainly a lot of main justice involvement in this investigation. You could just tell by the way he was not being truthful about where others are making decisions in addition to the US attorney in Delaware.
BLACKBURN: And I think that was, uh, of such concern to us. You know, there were a couple of our members that pointed out the disparity in some, uh, the way people were addressed. You look at the rate at Mar-a-Lago, which ha it has come forward from whistleblowers that the F B I pushed back on that, and then you look at the Biden documents, and he did not, uh, want anybody to know about that. And of course, it appears that, um, that main justice overrode the FBI in saying, go conduct the raid at Mar-a-Lago. And there were insufficient answers around that.
WHITAKER: No, I, I agree. And you know, I think you and I both believe, uh, especially in the Mar-a-Lago case, that there were less, um, less intense ways of doing and obtaining whatever they were trying to get. Obviously. Yes. Uh, you know, president Trump believes he was cooperating, his team was working, uh, to determine what was personal, what was, you know, presidential, what was classified, you know, and sort through the post, um, transition documents. And, uh, and, and you point out, I think, such an important point that&#8217;s not highlighted enough. In the case of Joe Biden, when they discovered those documents, the Department of Justice knew, the archives knew, and they all entered into a conspiracy with the, the White House. And that&#8217;s all it is. It&#8217;s a, it&#8217;s an agreement among two or more people. It&#8217;s a conspiracy to make sure that that never saw the light of day.
BLACKBURN: And I don&#8217;t think we&#8217;ll ever know how the media three months later actually, you know, got that story. But that three months of their silence, uh, and their saying, not saying that, you know, we have an equivalent case here, uh, with President Biden, I think, um, whirly was a disservice to the American people, not only leading up to the election, uh, but also just as, um, as, as President Trump was, you know, taking a lot of, uh, political hits, um, for behavior that clearly not only, you know, Joe Biden, Mike Pence, others have done, I still am mystified as someone, uh, that has had a lot of access to classified materials. I&#8217;m still a little flummoxed as to how those end up at home or in your office, but, uh, they obviously did in many cases. And, you know, that, I think that points to an important role that I wish, you know, the, the Attorney General would&#8217;ve, uh, tried to offer a little more in the solutions as to how we protect America&#8217;s secrets. I didn&#8217;t see anything, uh, uh, from him on that front.
WHITAKER: Well, we saw it as being two different approaches depending on who you are and what side of the political aisle you are on. And two of justice. And for Tennessean, that is something that, that truly upsets them and concerns them for the future of our nation. Well, you&#8217;re going to find Matt Whitaker at Liberty and Justice on iHeartRadio and online, Matt Whitaker 46. I think I got that right.
BLACKBURN: That&#8217;s right.</blockquote>

Conservative Political Action Conference First Day

Former Acting Attorney General Matt Whitaker To Senator Blackburn: Biden’s DOJ ‘A Two-Tiered System Of Justice’

Congress

Marsha Blackburn

Merrick Garland

U.S.

This article is adapted from today’s Morning Wire Afternoon Update. To listen to the podcast version, click <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/podcasts/morning-wire" target="_blank" rel="noopener">here</a>.
Mexican Officials Arrest Allege Kidnapping Suspect
Mexican authorities <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/mexican-authorities-arrest-suspect-in-kidnapping-murder-of-u-s-nationals" target="_blank" rel="noopener">arrested</a> a suspect late Tuesday allegedly tied to the kidnapping of four Americans last weekend that left two dead. The Daily Wire&#8217;s Brandon Drey joined Morning Wire&#8217;s &#8220;Afternoon update&#8221; for more on this story:
<blockquote>&#8220;The suspect, Jose Guadalupe N., is a Mexican national in his early 20’s. When he was detained he was guarding a small wooden house outside the city of Matamoros, where cartel members held the Americans. Authorities have not confirmed if he is involved with the cartel suspected of kidnapping the U.S. nationals. According to Mexican officials, when they discovered the victims kidnapped by the gunmen, two of them, Shaeed Woodard and Zindell Brown, were deceased. Investigations and efforts to capture those responsible are ongoing.&#8221;</blockquote>
Biden&#8217;s FCC Nominee Withdraws
President Biden’s <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/biden-nominee-goes-down-in-flames-after-ruthless-onslaught-from-ted-cruz" target="_blank" rel="noopener">polarizing nominee</a> to head the Federal Communications Commission has withdrawn from consideration amid significant backlash – and Democrat Senator Joe Manchin’s announcement that he would not back her.
Gigi Sohn, a former Obama official who would have been the first openly gay FCC commissioner, backs the controversial idea of net neutrality and had been vying for the job for 16 months. But in a statement Tuesday, Manchin dealt a significant blow to her chances, saying, “Especially now, the FCC must remain above the toxic partisanship that Americans are sick and tired of, and Ms. Sohn has clearly shown she is not the person to do that.” Sohn withdrew within hours of Manchin’s statement.
Republican Sen. Ted Cruz, who has been one of the more outspoken critics of Sohn’s nomination, declared Sohn’s withdrawal a “major victory” for bipartisanship, stating, “The FCC is not a place for partisan activists; free speech is too important.”
McConnell Bashes Tucker Carlson, Fox News 
Senate minority leader Mitch McConnell, the Kentucky statesman criticized Fox News for airing newly released footage from the January 6 riots on Tucker Carlson’s Monday evening show.
&#8220;It was a mistake, in my view, for Fox News to depict this in a way that’s completely at variance with what our chief law enforcement official here at the Capitol thinks,&#8221; McConnell said Tuesday afternoon
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
BREAKING: Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell calls it a &quot;mistake&quot; for Tucker Carlson and Fox News to release the never-before-seen J6 footage. <a href="https://t.co/8d2c75Z3eK">pic.twitter.com/8d2c75Z3eK</a>
&mdash; Charlie Kirk (@charliekirk11) <a href="https://twitter.com/charliekirk11/status/1633193079573454848?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 7, 2023</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
&nbsp;
Fox News Host Tucker Carlson responded to his Democratic and Republican critics Tuesday evening:
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
Tucker Carlson Responds To Senator Chuck Schumer Calling For Fox News To Censor His Show <a href="https://t.co/Bd6UcH9vb3">pic.twitter.com/Bd6UcH9vb3</a>
&mdash; Antonio Sabato Jr (@AntonioSabatoJr) <a href="https://twitter.com/AntonioSabatoJr/status/1633422442956767232?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 8, 2023</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
“All sharing the same outrage, and from this, we learn two things,&#8221; he said. &#8220;One: You&#8217;re getting close to what they really care about, and you have to ask yourself why? Why is it so important that they would degrade themselves by telling such obvious lies and calling for censorship? Why? What are they trying to protect? That might be worth exploring, and we plan to, and the second thing that we learned from this is that they&#8217;re on the same side. The Senate majority leader joins the Senate Minority leader — Thom Tillis, Mitt Romney. They&#8217;re all on the same side. So, it&#8217;s actually not about left and right. It&#8217;s not about Republicans and Democrats.&#8221;
Novak Djokovic Denied Entry Into America
In the world of sports, we have the latest regarding the saga of one the world’s best Tennis Players, Novak Djokovic. Crain and Company co-host David Cone reported:
<blockquote>&#8220;Djokovic has once again been denied entry into the U.S. due to his refusal to be vaccinated against COVID-19. The number one player in the world requested a medical waiver to participate in the Miami Open and the Indian Wells Masters, but was turned away by Homeland Security. 
This comes after Djokovic was forced to miss the US and Australian Opens last year, two of the four major tennis tournaments. Moderna, one of the largest vaccine makers, is one of the official sponsors of the US Open.&#8221;</blockquote>
<a class="c-link" href="https://onelink.to/dwapp" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" data-stringify-link="https://onelink.to/dwapp" data-sk="tooltip_parent">CLICK HERE TO GET THE DAILY WIRE APP</a>
DOJ Accuses Louisville Police Of Violating Civil Rights
The Department of Justice <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/doj-accuses-louisville-police-of-civil-rights-violations-discrimination-after-breonna-taylor-investigation" target="_blank" rel="noopener">released</a> its findings in its civil rights investigation into the Louisville Police Department following the death of Breonna Taylor in 2020. The Daily Wire’s Tim Pearce joined Afternoon Update to walk us through that report:
<blockquote>The DOJ investigated Louisville Metro Police for two years, and now alleges that the city’s officers regularly, quote, “engage in a pattern or practice of conduct that deprives people of their rights under the Constitution and Federal Law.” Those findings claim that LMPD uses excessive force, relies on invalid search warrants, discriminates against black people, and unlawfully stops, detains, and arrests individuals during routine traffic and street stops. The DOJ report also claims that &#8216;Some officers have videotaped themselves throwing drinks at pedestrians from their cars; insulted people with disabilities; and called Black people &#8216;monkeys,&#8217; &#8216;animal,&#8217; and &#8216;boy.&#8221; 
The DOJ also announced that it will be reviewing Memphis, TN police department&#8217;s use of force and de-escalation policies in wake of the killing of Tyre Nichols.&#8221;</blockquote>
To listen to the audio version of this podcast, <a href="https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/morning-wire/id1576594336" target="_blank" rel="noopener">click here</a>. And for more in-depth discussion of the biggest stories of the day, listen to the latest full episode of Morning Wire every morning.

MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA – FEBRUARY 02: Novak Djokovic of Serbia celebrates a point during his Men’s Singles Final match against Dominic Thiem of Austria on day fourteen of the 2020 Australian Open at Melbourne Park on February 02, 2020 in Melbourne, Australia.  US Attorney General Merrick Garland speaks during a press conference on the Justice Departments findings of the civil rights investigation into the Louisville Metro Police Department and Louisville Metro Government on March 8, 2023, in Louisville, Kentucky. – The investigation stems from the March 13, 2020, killing of Breonna Taylor by police officers serving a no-knock warrant. HOLLYWOOD, FLORIDA – NOVEMBER 17: Tucker Carlson during 2022 FOX Nation Patriot Awards at Hard Rock Live at Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Hollywood on November 17, 2022 in Hollywood, Florida.

Wednesday Afternoon Update: So Long, Gigi Sohn, DOJ Accuses Civil Rights Violations, Tennis Star Barred From US Over No-Vax

January 6

Louisville

Morning Wire

Novak Djokovic

Podcast

Tucker Carlson

Attorney General <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/merrick-garland" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Merrick Garland</a> attended a conference in Ukraine on Friday at the invitation of Ukrainian President <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/volodymyr-zelensky" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Volodymyr Zelensky</a>, saying that the result of the <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/ukraine-russia-war" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Ukraine-Russia war</a> would have a &#8220;direct&#8221; impact on democracy in America. 
Garland, the latest high-profile Biden administration official to visit Ukraine, <a href="https://www.justice.gov/opa/speech/attorney-general-merrick-b-garland-delivers-remarks-lviv-ukraine" target="_blank" rel="noopener">spoke</a> at the “United For Justice Conference” in Lviv, where he discussed Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and a U.S. investigation into possible Russian war crimes. 
“Just over twelve months ago, invading Russian forces began committing atrocities at the largest scale in any armed conflict since the Second World War,” Garland, who did not announce his plan to attend the conference beforehand, said. “We are here today in Ukraine to speak clearly, and with one voice: the perpetrators of those crimes will not get away with them.”
Garland said the results of Ukraine’s war with Russia would have a “direct” influence on democracy in the U.S. “The United States recognizes that what happens here in Ukraine will have a direct impact on the strength of our own democracy,” he claimed. 
According to the Justice Department, Garland also held several meetings with local officials while at the conference. Garland’s trip to Ukraine follows previous visits from Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen, President Joe Biden, and a number of senators. 
Friday’s visit was Garland’s second to the country — he had previously visited in July 2022 to <a href="https://www.axios.com/2022/06/21/merrick-garland-ukraine-war-crimes-visit" target="_blank" rel="noopener">announce investigations</a> into alleged war crimes. 
During Yellen’s trip last week, <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/treasury-boss-janet-yellen-makes-surprise-visit-to-ukraine" target="_blank" rel="noopener">she met with</a> Zelensky to discuss sanctions against Russia from the United States and its allies, reforms meant to address rampant corruption in Ukraine, and a $9.9 billion assistance package intended to assist the operations of the nation’s government, according to the Treasury Department.
“We have pledged to do our part to support the Ukrainian people, not only with words, but with actions. We will continue to work with our international coalition to provide military, economic, and humanitarian assistance to Ukraine. And we will continue to impose severe costs on the Kremlin for its illegal war. As President Biden has said, we will stand by Ukraine for as long as it takes,” Yellen said. 
During the war, the U.S. <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/politics/us-leads-rest-of-the-world-196-billion-ukraine-war-russia" target="_blank" rel="noopener">has been</a> the country most financially supportive of Ukraine, having pledged nearly $200 billion to the country in economic, humanitarian, and military aid. Some Republicans have sought to reduce the amount of spending going toward Ukraine with others <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/we-cannot-save-ukraine-by-dooming-the-u-s-economy-rand-paul-blocks-immediate-vote-on-billion-dollar-ukraine-package?%3Futm_source=twitter&amp;utm_medium=social&amp;utm_campaign=dwtwitter">calling</a> for <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/republican-lawmakers-demand-more-accountability-over-ukrainian-aid-after-cbs-report">increased oversight</a> of where the weapons are going.

Attorney General Garland And Ukrainian Counterpart Kostin Hold Signing Ceremony

Merrick Garland Says Result Of Russia-Ukraine War Will Have ‘Direct’ Impact On American Democracy

Conflicts

Executive

Janet Yellen

Russia

Ukraine

Ukraine-Russia War

Volodymyr Zelensky

World

Attorney General <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/merrick-garland" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Merrick Garland</a> talked a lot about the Justice Department&#8217;s &#8220;resources&#8221; during his appearance Wednesday before the Senate Judiciary Committee.
Congress provided the Justice Department with &#8220;critical resources&#8221; to strengthen its national security and law enforcement capacities, Garland <a href="https://www.judiciary.senate.gov/imo/media/doc/2023-03-01%20-%20Testimony%20-%20Garland.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">testified in his opening statement</a>.
But there were a number of times <a href="https://www.c-span.org/video/?526249-1/lawmakers-press-ag-justice-departments-response-fentanyl-crisis" target="_blank" rel="noopener">during the hearing</a> when the attorney general invited the prospect of receiving more resources, which appeared to be more about funds and personnel rather than legislative tweaks, to better address matters ranging from antitrust issues and combating drug cartels trafficking fentanyl into the United States.
At one point, during an exchange with Sen. John Cornyn (R-TX), Garland pushed back on the assertion that prosecutors are encouraged to avoid certain charges to get around certain mandatory minimum sentences approved by Congress.
&#8220;This is a question of allocating our resources and focusing them on violent crime,&#8221; Garland said. He insisted that conflicting views on policy are not to blame, but rather, &#8220;it&#8217;s a question of the resources.&#8221;
Pressed on whether this meant the Justice Department does not have enough money, Garland shared a list: &#8220;Not enough people. We don&#8217;t have enough money. We don&#8217;t have enough jails. We don&#8217;t have enough judges.&#8221;
This amounts to &#8220;cherry-picking,&#8221; Cornyn argued, a point which Garland countered by saying, &#8220;If we apply it to every single crime, we will not be able to focus our resources on violent crime, significant drug trafficking, on the cartels, on the people who are killing people with fentanyl.&#8221;
The standing policy, Garland said, is to &#8220;focus the attention of our prosecutors and agents on things that are damaging the American people in the largest possible respect.&#8221;
<a class="c-link" href="https://onelink.to/dwapp" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" data-stringify-link="https://onelink.to/dwapp" data-sk="tooltip_parent" aria-describedby="sk-tooltip-4883">CLICK HERE TO GET THE DAILY WIRE APP</a>
The Justice Department <a href="https://www.forbes.com/advisor/personal-finance/whats-in-the-omnibus-bill/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">received $38.7 billion</a> in the $1.7 trillion omnibus spending bill signed by President Joe Biden in December. That commitment to the agency amounted to a 10% funding boost overall, <a href="https://www.govexec.com/management/2022/12/here-are-major-takeaways-17-trillion-omnibus-spending-bill/381162/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">according to Government Executive</a>.
Throughout his testimony, Garland spoke about setting priorities, particularly in ways that would protect lives. Such a rationale was given as Garland explained how U.S. Marshals are focused on protecting U.S. Supreme Court justices and their families while <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/gop-senators-confront-garland-on-protesters-outside-homes-of-supreme-court-justices" target="_blank" rel="noopener">GOP senators assailed the attorney general</a> over a lack of arrests and prosecutions of protesters who appear to be in violation of an anti-picketing law.
Judiciary Committee members also confronted Garland with one glaring example of lives not being saved on a broad scale: the 108,000 fatal overdoses in one year&#8217;s time. This is a death toll surge which the Food and Drug Administration <a href="https://www.fda.gov/drugs/news-events-human-drugs/understanding-fatal-overdoses-inform-product-development-and-public-health-interventions-manage#:~:text=Drug%20overdose%20persists%20as%20a,the%20increase%20in%20overdose%20deaths." target="_blank" rel="noopener">says was driven</a> by synthetic opioids, such as fentanyl and its analogs.
Garland talked at length about how stopping the flow of fentanyl into the United States is a priority, including communicating with Mexican officials for improved coordination, but he stressed this border-related issue is a &#8220;whole of government&#8221; problem.
What the Justice Department is doing to tackle the fentanyl problem is &#8220;not working,&#8221; stressed Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC), the ranking member of the panel. &#8220;We&#8217;re going to help you if you&#8217;ll work with us to give you more tools. I hope you will meet us in the middle,&#8221; he added.
&#8220;Happy to have more tools,&#8221; Garland replied.
On the Democratic side, Sen. Alex Padilla (D-CA), who took Kamala Harris&#8217; California seat when she became vice president, asked Garland if the Justice Department has sufficient resources for hate crime investigations and prosecutions. The answer began with a familiar refrain.
&#8220;Obviously, if anyone wants to give me more resources in any area of the Justice Department&#8217;s responsibility, I&#8217;m happy to take them,&#8221; Garland said.

Merrick Garland Hungry For Expanded DOJ: ‘We Don’t Have Enough’

Merrick Garland Hungry For Expanded DOJ: 'We Don’t Have Enough'

Department of Justice

Law Enforcement

Missouri GOP Senator Josh Hawley grilled Attorney General Merrick Garland about the September 2022 arrest of pro-life activist Mark Houck by roughly 20 armed FBI agents at his Pennsylvania home in front of his children and wife.
The <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/doj">Department of Justice</a> is targeting Houck, who leads a nonprofit group that provides sidewalk counseling at abortion clinics in Philadelphia, over a 2021 incident involving his then-12-year-old son at a Planned Parenthood abortion facility. The family says Houck, who is now facing 11 years behind bars and <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/us/pennsylvania-pro-life-activist-arrested-fbi-charged-assaulting-clinic-escort">fines</a> up to $350,000, was defending his son from a harassing pro-abortion activist.
“What in the world would possess the Department of Justice to send 20 or so heavily armed agents to this family’s home, violate the sanctity of that home, frighten the children and then drag their father away instead of allowing us to present him peacefully, which we had offered to do?” <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/us/pro-life-activist-mark-houck-pleads-not-guilty-federal-charges-fbi-arrest">said</a> one of Houck&#8217;s attorneys, Peter Breen.
“Why did the Justice Department do this?&#8221; Hawley fired at Garland. “Why did you send 20 to 30 SWAT-style agents and a SWAT-style team to this guy’s house when everybody else had declined to prosecute and he had offered to turn himself in?”
“Let’s take a look at these hardened criminals that your Justice Department sent these armed agents to go terrorize on that morning,” Hawley continued later, showing a picture of the Houck family. “Here they are; here they are at Mass. Here’s the seven children with Mr. Houck and his wife in this early morning. They were all at home. Mrs. Houck has said repeatedly the children were screaming; they feared for their lives.”
“What’s really interesting to me is this seems to directly contradict your own memorandum about the use of force at the Justice Department,” Hawley charged. “You say, ‘Officers may use only the force that is objectively reasonable to effectively control an incident.’ Are you telling me that in your opinion as attorney general, it was objectively necessary to use 20 or 30 SWAT-style agents with long guns and ballistic shields for these people?”
“What I’m saying is that decisions about how to go about this were made on the ground by FBI agents,” Garland deflected.
“So you’re saying you don’t know?” Hawley snapped.
<a class="c-link" href="https://onelink.to/dwapp" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" data-stringify-link="https://onelink.to/dwapp" data-sk="tooltip_parent" aria-describedby="sk-tooltip-39419">CLICK HERE TO GET THE DAILY WIRE APP</a>
“I’m saying what I just said —” Garland replied, as Hawley interjected, “Which is that you’re abdicating responsibility?”
“I’m not abdicating responsibility,” Garland declared.
“Then give me the answer,” Hawley demanded. “Do you think, in your opinion — you’re the Attorney General of the United States — you are in charge of the Justice Department, and yes, sir, you are responsible. So give me an answer.”
“The FBI does not agree with your description,&#8221; Garland deflected again.
“I’m not asking about the FBI,” Haley said heatedly. “You are the attorney general. Give me your answer. Do you think it was objectively reasonable, and they followed your guidelines, in sending 20 to 30 armed agents to terrorize these people: yes or no?”
“The facts I have, which are those presented by the FBI, are not consistent with your description,” Garland retorted.
“So you think it was reasonable,” Hawley concluded.
“I’m saying the facts are not as you describe,” Garland said.
“What, that the children weren’t there? That there weren’t long guns there? That there weren’t agents? What do you dispute? What’s the factual premise that you dispute?” Hawley pressed.
“The FBI said they don’t agree with your description of —” Garland stated.
“Be specific,” Hawley demanded. “They don’t agree with what?”
“Of how many agents &#8230; were there and what their roles were. They don’t agree,” Garland claimed.
“Apparently on your watch, this Justice Department is targeting Catholics, targeting people of faith specifically for their faith views. And Mr. Attorney General, I’ll just say to you: It’s a disgrace,” Hawley declared.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
Senator Josh Hawley takes AG Garland to task on the FBI arrest of pro-life advocate Mark Houck at his home in front of his family.
&quot;Are you telling me that in your opinion as Attorney General, it was objectively necessary to use 20 or 30 SWAT-style agents with long guns and… <a href="https://t.co/1sNEy9PjWV">https://t.co/1sNEy9PjWV</a> <a href="https://t.co/WfNFyu1bAb">pic.twitter.com/WfNFyu1bAb</a>
&mdash; Live Action News (@LiveActionNews) <a href="https://twitter.com/LiveActionNews/status/1631005345190674433?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 1, 2023</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Amanda Prestigiacomo contributed to this article.
Related: <a href="https://dailywire.com/news/political-prosecution-pro-life-activist-mark-houck-fights-back-pleads-not-guilty-to-federal-charges-after-controversial-arrest/">‘Political Prosecution’: Pro-Life Activist Mark Houck Fights Back, Pleads Not Guilty To Federal Charges After Controversial Arrest</a>

Collage Maker-01-Mar-2023-03.50-PM

WATCH: Hawley Fiercely Grills Garland Over Arrest Of Mark Houck In Front Of His Children

WATCH: Hawley Grills Garland Over Arrest Of Mark Houck In Front Of His Children

Josh Hawley

Mark Houck

Politics

Pro-Life Movement

Attorney General Merrick Garland assured U.S. Senators, under oath, that leaks about investigations regarding presidents&#8217; handling of sensitive documents while out of office are not &#8220;directed&#8221; by the Justice Department.
Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/gop-senators-confront-garland-on-protesters-outside-homes-of-supreme-court-justices" target="_blank" rel="noopener">pressed Garland</a>, who was appearing Wednesday before the Senate Judiciary Committee, about various media reports about the inquiries into former President Donald Trump and President Joe Biden.
&#8220;I&#8217;ve read the leaks. They are inappropriate,&#8221; Garland testified. &#8220;We also don&#8217;t know where they come from.&#8221;
During his line of questioning, Cruz expressed the view that the leaks have been politically motivated, benefiting one side — Biden and the Democrats — while hurting Trump. But, the senator added, the Justice Department&#8217;s &#8220;intention&#8221; to indict Trump became &#8220;infinitely harder&#8221; when classified documents were discovered at Biden&#8217;s multiple residences.
After noting how &#8220;miraculously&#8221; there was no immediate leak about classified documents being found at Biden&#8217;s office at a D.C. think tank right before the 2022 midterm elections, Cruz asked the attorney general if there appears to be a double standard considering the torrent of <a href="https://www.npr.org/2022/04/07/1091431136/justice-department-investigating-trumps-possible-mishandling-of-government-secre" target="_blank" rel="noopener">leaks about the Trump inquiry</a>.
&#8220;Leaks under all circumstances are inappropriate and they are not directed by anyone in the Justice Department,&#8221; Garland said.
Before his time expired, Cruz also said it was &#8220;striking&#8221; to him that leaks about the <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/grassley-tells-garland-of-12-sources-with-potential-dirt-on-hunter-biden" target="_blank" rel="noopener">federal investigation into Hunter Biden</a> seem to be more focused on possible tax crimes and a false statement related to a gun purchase that could be complicated by his <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2022/10/06/politics/hunter-biden-investigation-federal-prosecutors-weighing-charges/index.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">history of drug use</a> rather than the &#8220;very real evidence&#8221; of corruption involving the younger Biden&#8217;s father, President Biden.
Garland has appointed separate special counsels to investigate Trump&#8217;s and Joe Biden&#8217;s handling of government documents, a move he attributes to their ambitions to seek re-election in 2024.
<a class="c-link" href="https://onelink.to/dwapp" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" data-stringify-link="https://onelink.to/dwapp" data-sk="tooltip_parent" aria-describedby="sk-tooltip-4883">CLICK HERE TO GET THE DAILY WIRE APP</a>
<a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/national-security/2023/03/01/fbi-dispute-trump-mar-a-lago-raid/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Washington Post reported</a> on Wednesday that prosecutors prevailed over FBI agents who resisted the plan to raid Trump&#8217;s Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida last summer in the search for classified documents.
Sen. Josh Hawley (R-MO) sought to have Garland answer to the new reporting, but the attorney general insisted he was not at liberty to discuss the investigation. However, Garland said generally there is often a &#8220;robust discussion&#8221; between prosecutors and investigators. Garland also said he &#8220;approved the decision to seek a search warrant after probable cause was found.&#8221;
Hawley argued that the reporting indicated that the FBI lacks confidence in Garland&#8217;s leadership.
&#8220;FBI field agents did not want to conduct the raid and they were overruled by [the Justice Department],&#8221; Hawley said. &#8220;It doesn&#8217;t seem to me, attorney general, that the FBI has a lot of confidence in you because what they&#8217;re doing, clearly, is trying to distance themselves from your decisions.&#8221;

Garland Claims Ignorance About Leaks From Trump, Biden Docs Investigations

classified documents

Donald Trump

Joe Biden

Republican senators pressed Attorney General Merrick Garland on enforcing a federal law against protests outside Supreme Court justices&#8217; homes.
During a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing Wednesday, Sen. Mike Lee (R-UT) set a focus on demonstrators carrying signs and shouting slogans outside the residences of justices after the 2022 leak and issuance of the Supreme Court opinion in the Dobbs v. Jackson Women&#8217;s Health Organization case, which determined that abortion is not a constitutional right.
Lee, a former law clerk, said it is &#8220;very clear&#8221; that protesters are trying to influence jurisprudence in potential violation of <a href="https://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/18/1507" target="_blank" rel="noopener">18 U.S. Code § 1507</a>, which prohibits pickets or parades near the house of a judge with the intent of influencing or impeding the administration of justice.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
Mike Lee questions Merrick Garland on the political persecution of peaceful pro-life activists &#8211; March 1st 2023 <a href="https://t.co/V57i1ChLg7">pic.twitter.com/V57i1ChLg7</a>
&mdash; The NPC Show (@TheNPCShow) <a href="https://twitter.com/TheNPCShow/status/1630970009240616960?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 1, 2023</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Garland said he did not know the answer when asked if anyone has been charged under the statute, but stressed that the U.S. Marshals Service, a bureau of the Justice Department, is focused on protecting justices and their families and can make arrests if the situation calls for it.
&#8220;As soon as the Dobbs draft leaked I ordered the Marshals to do something that the United States Marshals had never in history done before, which was protect the justices&#8217; homes, residences, and lives 24-7,&#8221; he testified.
Garland said 70 U.S. Marshals were assigned to this task, and attributed this deployment to foiling the plans of a man arrested and charged with <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/police-id-armed-man-who-said-he-wanted-to-kill-supreme-court-justice-kavanaugh-report" target="_blank" rel="noopener">attempting to murder</a> Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh.
State and local officials have &#8220;similar&#8221; authorities, noted Garland, who then said he did not know what, if any, actions they have taken.
Lee appeared unsatisfied with Garland&#8217;s answers.
&#8220;It is concerning to me when you show up at the home of a public official. You&#8217;re sending the message of implicit violence,&#8221; Lee said. &#8220;You&#8217;re sending the message, &#8216;We know where you sleep.&#8217; &#8216;We know where you and your family are most vulnerable.'&#8221;
<a class="c-link" href="https://onelink.to/dwapp" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" data-stringify-link="https://onelink.to/dwapp" data-sk="tooltip_parent" aria-describedby="sk-tooltip-32936">CLICK HERE TO GET THE DAILY WIRE APP</a>
During another round of questioning, Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) picked back up on the issue of protecting Supreme Court justices. Cruz asked the attorney general point blank if protesting outside the home of a judge intent with the intent of influencing that judge in a pending case is a federal crime. Garland said the answer is &#8220;yes.&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) and AG Garland go back and forth over protesters outside SCOTUS justices’ homes.
Cruz: “How did you choose not to enforce this statute?”
Garland: “The marshals on scene …”
Cruz: “Marshals don’t make that decision.”
Garland: “They do make the decision!” <a href="https://t.co/FlPLy8etU3">pic.twitter.com/FlPLy8etU3</a>
&mdash; The Recount (@therecount) <a href="https://twitter.com/therecount/status/1630979942165929986?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 1, 2023</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
The exchange turned confrontational as Cruz accused the Justice Department and Garland of inaction as &#8220;extremist groups&#8221; shared personal information not only about the justices, but also members of their families.
&#8220;Your failure to act to protect the safety of the justices and their families was an obvious product of political bias!&#8221; Cruz said.
Garland rejected claims of political bias and asserted he did not sit idly by in protecting the justices.

GOP Senators Confront Garland On Protesters Outside Homes Of Supreme Court Justices

Mike Lee

Supreme Court

Ted Cruz

Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-IA) divulged to Attorney General Merrick Garland on Wednesday the breadth of potentially criminal evidence against <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/hunter-biden" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Hunter Biden</a> that has been shared with Congress.
&#8220;Recent lawfully protected whistleblower disclosures to my office indicate that the Justice Department and the FBI had at one time over a dozen sources who provided potentially criminal information relating to Hunter Biden,&#8221; Grassley said.
&#8220;The alleged volume and similarity of the information would demand that the Justice Department investigate the truth and accuracy of the information,&#8221; he added.
Grassley made the revelation during a hearing with Garland held by the Senate Judiciary Committee after asking hypothetical questions about protections for whistleblowers who match the description of the people who came forward to his office.
The senator asked Garland what steps the Justice Department has taken to determine the truth and accuracy of the information given to Grassley&#8217;s team.
&#8220;Congress and the American people I think have a right to know,&#8221; Grassley said.
Garland largely refused to give detailed answers about the active investigation into President Joe Biden&#8217;s adult son, deferring to Delaware&#8217;s U.S. Attorney David Weiss.
The attorney general said any information about Hunter Biden should have gone to Weiss and the &#8220;FBI squad&#8221; assisting him.
<a class="c-link c-link--focus-visible" href="https://onelink.to/dwapp" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" data-stringify-link="https://onelink.to/dwapp" data-sk="tooltip_parent">CLICK HERE TO GET THE DAILY WIRE APP</a>
<div class="c-message_kit__blocks c-message_kit__blocks--rich_text">
<div class="c-message__message_blocks c-message__message_blocks--rich_text" data-qa="message-text">
<div class="p-block_kit_renderer" data-qa="block-kit-renderer">
<div class="p-block_kit_renderer__block_wrapper p-block_kit_renderer__block_wrapper--first">
<div class="p-rich_text_block" dir="auto">
&#8220;I pledged not to interfere with that investigation and I have carried through on my pledge,&#8221; Garland said.
</div>
While Grassley probed the possible need for a special counsel, Garland also insisted that if Weiss needed to go to another jurisdiction to bring a case, he would &#8220;assure&#8221; that the U.S. attorney would be able to do so.
Hunter Biden is under investigation over his foreign business dealings, tax affairs, and more.
Though Hunter Biden has said he expects to be cleared of wrongdoing, Republicans have raised concerns about influence peddling, particularly regarding his Chinese business dealings and access to areas where classified documents have been located.
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>

Hunter Biden

Grassley Tells Garland Of 12 Sources With Potential Dirt On Hunter Biden

Chuck Grassley

Federal prosecutors charged a former award-winning ABC News producer Tuesday night on allegations of transporting images depicting the sexual abuse of children.
James Gordon Meek, 53, of Arlington, Virginia, who was a producer who covered terrorism and major crimes for the network, was arrested after the file hosting service Dropbox tipped off authorities about five suspected videos of child sexual exploitation material in an account. The information was ultimately received by the Federal Bureau of Investigation Washington Field Office’s Child Exploitation and Human Trafficking Task Force.
FBI authorities conducted a raid of Meek’s residence in April 2022, and he resigned shortly after.
“Law enforcement seized multiple devices that allegedly contained evidence of the transportation of images of child sexual abuse,” authorities said in a <a href="https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/man-arrested-transporting-images-child-sexual-abuse" target="_blank" rel="noopener">news release</a>.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
BREAKING:
Former ABC News Producer Arrested for Transportation of Child Pornography
James Gordon Meek, 53
TW: highly explicit descriptions of child sex abuse in arrest affidavit <a href="https://t.co/C9kC7l2Jxg">https://t.co/C9kC7l2Jxg</a> <a href="https://t.co/04pYUrOPmQ">pic.twitter.com/04pYUrOPmQ</a>
&mdash; An Open Secret (@AnOpenSecret) <a href="https://twitter.com/AnOpenSecret/status/1620838272917458946?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 1, 2023</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
According to court documents, devices belonging to the producer allegedly contained images depicting children engaged in sexually explicit conduct and multiple chat conversations with users engaged in sexually explicit conversations where the participants expressed enthusiasm for the sexual abuse of children.
“In two of those conversations, a username allegedly associated with Meek received and distributed child sexual abuse materials through an internet-based messaging platform,” the statement reads.
Rolling Stone <a href="https://www.rollingstone.com/politics/politics-news/james-gordon-meek-warrant-1234672165/">reported</a> after federal agents raided Meek’s home, prosecutors claimed they found pornographic images on the producer’s iPhone 8, iPhone 6, an external hard drive, and laptop depicting the abuse of children as young as a toddler.
Meek’s iPhone 8 allegedly contained messages and child pornography exchanged with another alleged pedophile.
In the messages, Rolling Stone reported, Meek allegedly appeared to confess to previously abusing children.
“Have you ever raped a toddler girl? It’s amazing,” he allegedly wrote in one exchange, Rolling Stone reported.
Meek allegedly created a Snapchat account under the handle “hoolijax,” where he posed as a young girl to solicit pornographic material.
Authorities who interviewed one of the children on Meek’s Snapchat account found on his phone “confirmed that Meek and other men had approached her through Snapchat and had pressured her to provide pictures depicting sexually explicit conduct.”
Eugene Gorokhov, an attorney for Meek, said in a court filing reported by <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/dc-md-va/2023/02/01/james-gordon-meek-journalist-child-pornopgraphy/">The Washington Post</a> that he could provide evidence proving his client did not put the community in danger, adding Meek could be eligible for bond while his trial is pending.
U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland issued a new Justice Department policy last year which outlined that in order to seize materials from a journalist, authorities would have to believe that the reporter was working for a hostile foreign power, or terrorist organization, or involved in situations like kidnappings or crimes against children.
Meek was working on a book about President Joe Biden’s pullout from Afghanistan at the time of the FBI pre-dawn raid on his home last year.
Meek was also a former senior counterterrorism adviser and investigator for the U.S. House Homeland Security Committee and worked on investigating the Boston Marathon bombing of 2013.
He has four Emmy nominations, winning one in 2017 for ABC News’ breaking news coverage.
If convicted, Meek faces a mandatory minimum of five years in prison, and a maximum penalty of 20 years.
Ryan Saavedra contributed to this report.

Headquarters Of The Federal Bureau Of Investigation

Former ABC News Producer Arrested, Charged With Transporting Images of Child Sexual Abuse

ABC News

Child pornography

Crime

Podcast host Joe Rogan slammed President <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/joe-biden">Joe Biden</a> during multiple broadcasts on his show last week after a report revealed that classified documents were found at the Biden Penn Center and the president&#8217;s home in Delaware.
The situation is so serious that U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland announced at a press conference this week that he has appointed a special counsel to take over the federal investigation into the scandal.
During one segment on his show, Rogan highlighted a New York Post article about how tens of millions of dollars were donated by the Chinese to the Biden think tank were the first batch of classified documents were discovered.
&#8220;So the Chinese might be funding a think tank that has classified documents?&#8221; Rogan <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hd6PuC4TFvk">said</a>. &#8220;$54 million in Chinese gifts donated to UPenn, home of the Biden center. What the f***, man? $54 million in gifts. This just like, you know, yo-yos, and s***. Xboxes, beer koozies. What the f*** are they giving them?&#8221;
&#8220;What&#8217;s crazy is that the documents being there are the big story not that China gave them 50 plus million dollars,&#8221; Rogan said. &#8220;That&#8217;s a big g*****n story. And that seems to be par for the course right?&#8221;
The podcast giant said that the funding from China likely influenced the policies that the organization was promoting. &#8220;So this Biden Penn think tank, what did they promote?&#8221; Rogan said. &#8220;Like, what did they, let&#8217;s see if we can find out what $54 million from China gets you.&#8221;
During another segment, Rogan said that he knew very little about politics but that if he to take a guess, he believes &#8220;they&#8217;re trying to get rid of him [Biden].&#8221;
&#8220;My guess would be they&#8217;re trying to get rid of him, if all of a sudden his own aides are sending these, instead of like taking these classified documents which you have located and go, &#8216;Well, let&#8217;s not do that again&#8217;, and f***ing locking them up somewhere,&#8221; Rogan said. &#8220;His own aides? That sounds sus[picious].&#8221;
&#8220;No one self reported that f***ing laptop,&#8221; Rogan continued. &#8220;They got a hold of the social media companies and lied to them. They did whatever the f*** they could to keep that from happening. And even this, they discovered this before the midterms. They didn&#8217;t released the information until after the midterms.&#8221;
<iframe loading="lazy" title="Joe Rogan: “They’re Trying To Get Rid of Biden”!?!" width="500" height="281" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/PuU_zN4tLJE?feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen></iframe>

Joe Rogan

Joe Rogan Hammers Biden Over Classified Document Scandal: What Does ‘$54 Million From China’ Get You?

Gun rights groups criticized the <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/biden-administration" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Biden administration</a> after the <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/department-of-justice" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Department of Justice</a> announced a new <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/gun-control" target="_blank" rel="noopener">gun control</a> proposal that would regulate pistols with stabilizing braces. 
The rule, announced on Friday, was developed after a directive from President <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/joe-biden" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Joe Biden</a> to regulate the use of such braces, which he <a href="https://www.justice.gov/opa/speech/attorney-general-garland-s-full-remarks-gun-violence-prevention-white-house-rose-garden" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> could effectively turn pistols into short-barreled rifles. According to the National Firearms Act, a weapon classified as a short-barreled rifle needs a federal license. 
“Keeping our communities safe from gun violence is among the Department’s highest priorities,” <a href="https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/justice-department-announces-new-rule-address-stabilizing-braces-accessories-used-convert" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> Attorney General Merrick Garland. “Today’s rule makes clear that firearm manufacturers, dealers, and individuals cannot evade these important public safety protections simply by adding accessories to pistols that transform them into short-barreled rifles.”
The U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/firearms-and-explosives-atf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">(ATF)</a> followed Biden’s directive and developed the rule, which was submitted to the Federal Register on Friday. The rule will require owners of stabilizing braces to register their guns as short-barreled rifles. 
“This rule enhances public safety and prevents people from circumventing the laws Congress passed almost a century ago. In the days of Al Capone, Congress said back then that short-barreled rifles and sawed-off shotguns should be subjected to greater legal requirements than most other guns,” ATF Director Steve Dettelbach said. 
The DOJ also said gun owners could return their braces or surrender “covered short-barreled rifles to ATF.&#8221;
The rule was widely criticized by Second Amendment groups as well as Republicans. 
Senior Vice President of Gun Owners of America (GOA) Erich Pratt <a href="https://www.gunowners.org/goa-condemns-biden-rule-to-criminalize-pistol-braced-firearms/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> that his group&#8217;s legal arm would be filing a suit to challenge the rule, noting that pistol braces are used by disabled individuals to safely use handguns. 
“President Biden just initiated the largest federal gun registration scheme in our nation’s history without even the passage of a new law. GOA is actively working with Congress to pass a resolution blocking this rule under the Congressional Review Act,” said Aidan Johnson, the director of federal affairs for GOA. 
The Congressional Review Act allows Congress to <a href="https://regulatorystudies.columbian.gwu.edu/congressional-review-act">nullify regulations</a> within 60 days of their proposal. 
The National Rifle Association (NRA) <a href="https://twitter.com/NRA/status/1614063136050380800?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1614063136050380800%7Ctwgr%5Ef02b28a34a1e6ff8e1f4ee0de7c05ba07f545bd6%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&amp;ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.foxnews.com%2Fpolitics%2Fgop-lawmakers-nra-slam-atf-rule-regulate-pistol-braces-unconstitutional-overreach" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> that the Biden administration had chosen to “shred the Constitution” with the new regulation. 
Senator Mike Crapo (R-ID) called the rule an “ unacceptable attack” on the Second Amendment and law-abiding Americans. &#8220;The ATF’s announced rule on pistol braces today is nothing short of a massive executive branch-imposed gun registration and confiscation scheme,” he <a href="https://twitter.com/MikeCrapo/status/1614027384965021696" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> on Twitter. 
<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/federal-appeals-court-rules-against-atf-strikes-down-bump-stock-ban" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Related: Federal Appeals Court Rules Against ATF, Strikes Down Bump Stock Ban</a>

Attorney General Garland Delivers Statement At Department Of Justice

‘Unacceptable Attack’: Biden Admin Slammed After DOJ Announces New Pistol Brace Regulation

Department Of Justice Announces New Rule To Regulated Pistol Braces

Biden Administration

Gun Control

Attorney General <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/merrick-garland" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Merrick Garland</a> appointed attorney Robert Hur to take over a <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/department-of-justice" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Department of Justice</a> inquiry into the handling of batches of classified documents found at President Joe Biden’s private D.C. office and Wilmington, <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/delaware" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Delaware</a>, home.
Garland announced his decision to appoint Hur at a press conference on Thursday, one day after news broke of a second batch of classified documents found stashed in the garage and an adjoining room of Biden’s Wilmington home. The first stash consisting of 10 documents was reported earlier this week after being found by a personal attorney of the president in Biden’s office at the Penn Biden Center in Washington, D.C.
“I will conduct the assigned investigation with fair, impartial, and dispassionate judgment. I intend to follow the facts swiftly and thoroughly, without fear or favor, and will honor the trust placed in me to perform this service,” Hur <a href="https://twitter.com/RobLegare/status/1613610928871702535" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> in a statement Thursday.
Garland tapped Hur on the recommendation of John Lausch, the U.S. attorney for Chicago. Lausch began a preliminary inquiry into the handling of the documents, reportedly from Biden’s time as vice president, after Garland tapped him on November 14, 12 days after 10 classified documents were found in Biden’s D.C. office on November 2.
Hur is a former federal prosecutor who has worked at the Department of Justice under Democratic and Republican administrations. He will leave his current role as partner at the law firm of Gibson, Dunn, and Crutcher where he heads groups specializing in white-collar defense and national security, according to his <a href="https://www.gibsondunn.com/lawyer/hur-robert-k/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">biography</a>.
Hur last served in government as the U.S. attorney for the District of Maryland, a post for which he was nominated by former President Donald Trump. He <a href="https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/news/justice/robert-hur-garland-appointed-biden-classified-docs-special-counsel" target="_blank" rel="noopener">received</a> unanimous approval from the Senate. Hur served as the chief federal prosecutor for Maryland from April 2018 to February 2021 when President Joe Biden asked almost every federal prosecutor picked by Trump to resign.
Prior to serving as U.S. attorney for Maryland, Hur worked in the DOJ as then-Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein’s right hand, helping Rosenstein manage the day-to-day activity of the Justice Department and acting as Rosenstein’s “point person” overseeing then-special counsel Robert Mueller’s investigation into the Russian collusion hoax of the 2016 election, Rosenstein told <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2023/01/12/politics/who-is-robert-hur-special-counsel/index.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">CNN</a>.
Hur “was my point person and he had biweekly meetings with Mueller’s team and then briefed me on the progress of the Russian special counsel investigation,” Rosenstein said. “So he has seen that firsthand and he knows that you need not to be influenced by politics and make decisions based on fact and the law and the Department of Justice policy, and I think we can count on Rob to do that.”
From 2007 to 2014, Hur worked as an assistant U.S. attorney in Maryland when Rosenstein had the job as the state’s top federal prosecutor. From 2003 to 2005, Hur worked at the DOJ as counsel and special assistant before serving as counsel to current FBI Director Christopher Wray, then serving as assistant attorney general in charge of the DOJ’s criminal division.
Hur attended Harvard College for undergrad before receiving a law degree from Stanford Law School in 2001. He clerked for Ninth Circuit Judge Alex Kozinski and former Supreme Court Chief Justice William Rehnquist.

Robert Hur

Meet Robert Hur, Special Counsel Investigating Biden’s Handling Of Classified Docs

Washington D.C.

Menu