Merrick Garland isn't the man for the times - verification #whatever

Giving Merrick Garland a consolation prize of Attorney General was a huge mistake.

MSNBC's Rachel Maddow revealed the existence of the memo on her show on Monday. The memo reiterates a policy introduced by former Attorney General William Barr in 2020 during former President Donald Trump's administration.

That policy requires investigators to obtain written approval from the attorney general before opening any investigation into declared candidates for president or vice president, a presidential campaign or a senior presidential campaign member or adviser.

[...]

Garland's memo had the subject line "Election Year Sensitivities." Newsweek has asked the Department of Justice for comment.

Department of Justice employees are entrusted with the authority to enforce the laws of the United States and with the responsibility to do so in a neutral and impartial manner. This is particularly important in an election year. Now that the 2022 election season is upon us, and as in prior election cycles, I am issuing this memorandum to remind you of the Department's existing policies with respect to political activities.

  MSN

Full transcript here.

Whether it was to move the pieces on the chess board to create the pathway for now-Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson to get to the Supreme Court or it was because he wanted an institutionalist with an independent streak to oversee a department that had an active investigation into his son, Biden picked a conversative and overly cautious Garland over other choices who would have been more likely to take the bold action this moment — and the unique threat from Trump — demands from an attorney general.

[...]

While Garland has promised to follow the investigation wherever and to whomever it leads, all available evidence shows that 18 months after the unprecedented attack on our democracy, the nearly powerless congressional committee, despite having significantly fewer resources, tools, and ways to act, is far outpacing Garland's Department of Justice investigation.

The anemic pace of the department's investigation — especially when contrasted with the committee's work over the past few weeks — is dangerous, because while Garland may pride himself on his slow and deliberate prosecutorial style, time is not on his — or the nation's — side.

  Newsweek

...but hey, do what you want...you will anyway.

UPDATE:

“We’re going to continue to do our job, to follow the facts wherever they go, no matter where they lead, no matter to what level,” Deputy Attorney General Lisa Monaco said Tuesday in response to questions after speaking at a cybersecurity conference in New York.

“We’re going to continue to investigate what was fundamentally an attack on our democracy.”

DOJ traditionally avoids investigative action that might implicate a candidate in the 60 days preceding an election. But Monaco’s comments indicate the Justice Department may not stick to that norm, which is not an official DOJ policy.

“The mandate the team has remains, which is to follow the facts wherever they go, regardless of what level, regardless of whether the subject of those investigations were present on Jan. 6,” Monaco said.

  The Hill