Sen. Josh Hawley, R-Mo., told Fox News that he would could continue probing potential ethics violations by Attorney General Merrick Garland, arguing that he’s “completely compromised the independence” of his office.
“I think the scrutiny is just beginning for Merrick Garland, who can I just say is turning out to be a historically awful attorney general,” Hawley said. “He is going to go down at this point as one of the worst attorneys general in American history,” he said Sunday.
Hawley’s comments came after last week’s explosive Senate Judiciary Committee hearing where he told Garland to resign.
Sen. Josh Hawley asks a follow-up question to U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland as he testifies before a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing on Oct. 27, 2021 in Washington, D.C.
(Getty Images)
For weeks, the attorney general has encountered criticism over his memo announcing an investigation into alleged threats and intimidation of school boards. While Garland’s memo didn’t mention “domestic terrorism,” Republicans scrutinized the influence of a letter that used that term and suggested leveraging the Patriot Act.
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Despite the National School Board Association apologizing for the letter, Garland stood by it during last week’s hearing. He did, however, distance himself from its language.
U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland testifies before a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing on October 27, 2021 in Washington, D.C.
(Getty Images)
“The Justice Department supports and defends the First Amendment right of parents to complain as vociferously as they wish about education of their children, about the curriculum taught in the schools. That is not what the memorandum is about at all or does it use the words ‘domestic terrorism’ or ‘Patriot Act,'” he said.
Sen. Josh Hawley asks a follow-up question to U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland as he testifies before a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing on Oct. 27, 2021 in Washington, D.C.
(Getty Images )
“I can’t imagine any circumstance in which the Patriot Act would be used in the circumstances of parents complaining about their children, nor can I imagine a circumstance where they would be labeled as domestic terrorism.”
The situation became even touchier for Garland, whose son-in-law co-founded an education consultancy that pushes the type of left-leaning ideas parents have been protesting for months at school board meetings.
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When pressed by Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, Garland declined to say whether he sought guidance on a potential conflict of interest.
“I’m telling you that if I thought there was any reasonable — if there was a conflict of interest, I would do that,” Garland said at one point.
Hawley and others aren’t satisfied, particularly in light of reporting that the White House corresponded with the NSBA about the letter before sending it to the administration. Before issuing its memo, DOJ also reportedly communicated with the White House about the letter.
“He’s [Garland’s] completely compromised the independence of that office,” said Hawley, who previously served as Missouri’s attorney general.
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Hawley told Fox News that “we may as well not have a Department of Justice. They may as well just run it out of the White House because it’s clear that the far-left party in the White House – that element – totally controls DOJ.”
DOJ did not immediately respond to Fox News’ request for comment.