WTF, Merrick Garland?

 

The facts are clear: Donald Trump’s secretary of commerce, Wilbur Ross, lied to Congress, under oath. That’s a crime. He should be prosecuted.1 So why isn’t Merrick Garland doing it?! Here’s the backstory: In the run-up to the 2020 Census, Trump's political team instructed the Commerce Department to craft the census in a way that would reduce the number of congressional districts and electoral college votes awarded to Democratic states.2,3 But when questioned about it by Congress under oath, then-Secretary Ross lied.4 Trump and his cronies aren’t above the law. But there’s a disturbing trend in the DOJ of refusing to go after the crimes that took place when Trump was president, which is setting a terrible precedent. The DOJ needs to step up. This isn’t the first time that Merrick Garland has carried Trump’s water and protected him from accountability.5 Stunningly, Garland is defending Trump against E. Jean Carroll, one of dozens of women who have come forward with allegations of sexual assault by Trump.6,7 Garland also refused to release documents that could prove that Trump Attorney General William Barr acted improperly during the Mueller investigation.8 The DOJ even wants to lock up the Mueller investigation documents until the year 2069.9 These moves make us deeply concerned about how Merrick Garland’s DOJ will handle the crimes committed during the Trump administration. We need accountability for the Trump years, not a DOJ that’s all too willing to let bygones be bygones and criminals off the hook. Merrick Garland shouldn’t be protecting Trump or anyone in his cabinet who engaged in wrongdoing. Will you chip in to generate massive grassroots pressure on the DOJ to prosecute Trump administration crimes? Thanks for standing with us. Robert Cruickshank, Demand Progress PS: Your contributions are what keep us nimble and prepared to take on important fights like these as they happen. Will you become a monthly donor to keep our work going? Sources: 1. CNN, "Justice Department won’t prosecute Wilbur Ross for misleading Congress about attempted 2020 census change," July 19, 2021. 2. CNN, "Justice Department filing appears to contradict commerce secretary testimony to Congress," October 12, 2018. 3. Government Executive, "DOJ Will Not Prosecute Trump Officials After IG Referred Findings of False Testimony on Census," July 16, 2021. 4. USA Today, "Watchdog: Wilbur Ross misled on reason for 2020 Census citizenship question," July 21, 2021. 5. The New Republic, "Merrick Garland Is Not Your Liberal Firebrand," June 11, 2021. 6. Slate, "Why Is Merrick Garland Defending Donald Trump?," June 8, 2021. 7. E Jean Carroll, "Carroll v Trump (an Update)," June 7, 2021. 8. Washington Monthly, "Why Is Merrick Garland Defending Bill Barr’s Policies?" June 15, 2020. 9. The Washington Post, "Justice Department seeks 50-year bar to release of grand jury material," July 20, 2021.