Attorney General Garland condemns political attacks on DOJ officials ahead of election

Published: Sep 11, 2024 Duration: 00:04:11 Category: News & Politics

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HOW PEOPLE VOTE? >> 100%. >> MORNING NEWS NOW, STREAMING WEEKDAYS AT 7:00. 8 >>> WELCOME BACK. THE JANUARY 6th ATTACK ON THE CAPITOL HAPPENED NEARLY FOUR YEARS AGO, AND TODAY THE DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY ANNOUNCED THAT IT IS DESIGNATING THE COUNTING AND CERTIFICATION OF THE ELECTORAL COLLEGE VOTE ON JANUARY 6th, 2025, AS A NATIONAL SPECIAL SECURITY EVENT. IT'S A DESIGNATION RESERVED ARE FOR OF EVENTS THE HIGHEST NATIONAL SIGNIFICANCE. IT COMES AS ATTORNEY GENERAL MERRICK GARLAND IS SPEAK OUT ABOUT THREATS FACING THE JUSTICE DEPARTMENT AHEAD OF THE ELECTION CONDEMNING WHAT HE CALLS DANGEROUS POLITICAL ATTACKS ON D.O.J. OFFICIALS. >> CONSPIRACY THEORIES, DANGEROUS FALSEHOODS, EFFORTS TO BULLY AND INTIMIDATE CAREER PUBLIC SERVANTS BY REPEATEDLY AND PUBLICLY SINGLING THEM OUT AND THREATS OF ACTUAL VIOLENCE, THE WORK YOU DO EVERY DAY MAKES A DIFFERENCE. AND THE WAY YOU DO THAT WORK MAKES CLEAR THAT THE PUBLIC SERVANTS OF THE DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE DO NOT BEND TO POLITICS AND THAT THEY WILL NOT BREAK UNDER PRESSURE. >> GARLAND NEVER MENTIONED DONALD TRUMP BY NAME BUT THE FORMER PRESIDENT AND HIS ALLIES HAVE REPEATEDLY ACCUSED THE BIDEN ADMINISTRATION OF WEAPON FLIESING THE D.O.J. AS PART OF A VAST GOVERNMENT CONSPIRACY TO KEEP THEM OUT INVOLVEMENTS BASELESS CLAIMS, OF COURSE. KEN DILANIAN JOINS ME NOW. REMARKABLE TO HEAR THE ATTORNEY GENERAL, THAT FORCEFUL. WHAT LED TO HIM MAKING THOSE REMARKS? >> HE'S BEEN DEEPLY CONCERNED. THERE'S TWO LEVELS. THERE'S THE ACTUAL PHYSICAL THRETSZ THAT ARE MANIFEST AGAINST THE PEOPLE THAT WORK FOR HIM, AND HIM, ALTHOUGH HE DOESN'T TALK ABOUT IT, AND THEN THERE'S THIS QUESTION OF KEEPING THE JUSTICE DEPARTMENT POLITICALLY INDEPENDENT, TRADITION THAT HE SAID GOES BACK TO WATERGATE WHEN HE FIRST JOINED THE DEPARTMENT. AT A TIME WHEN DONALD TRUMP IS PROMISING THAT IF HE'S ELECTED HE WILL USE THE JUSTICE DEPARTMENT TO PROS CAUGHT HIS ENEMIES. THAT'S NOT SUPPOSED TO HAPPEN, AND WHAT MERRICK GARLAND SAID TODAY TO A GROUP OF U.S. ATTORNEYS, WE CANNOT LET THAT HAPPEN, WE MUST REMAIN INDEPENDENT. SO HE WAS PASSIONATE, FORCEFUL. THERE'S SOME PEOPLE I TALKED TO WHO WISH HE HAD DONE THIS A LOT EARLIER, BUT TODAY HE WAS VERY FORCEFUL. >> HAS HE TAKEN ANY STEPS TO PROTECT D.O.J. OFFICIALS BEYOND MAKING THESE REMARKS? >> WELL, IN TERMS OF THREATS, THERE'S OBVIOUSLY PHYSICAL SECURITY, WHENEVER PROSECUTORS ARE THREATENED. IN TERMS OF PRESERVING THEIR INDEPENDENCE, HE TOOK A NUMBER OF STEPS WHEN THE BIDEN ADMINISTRATION TOOK OFFICE TO REESTABLISH NORMS THAT HAD SLIPPED DURING THE TRUMP ADMINISTRATION. THERE'S REALLY NOT A LOT HE CAN DO TO PROTECT CAREER OFFICIALS IF DONALD TRUMP TAKES OFFICE AND IMPLEMENTS HIS PLAN TO CONVERT CAREER EMPLOYEES INTO CIVIL SERVANTS. IT'S ANYBODY'S GUESS IF THAT PLAYS OUT. >> DHS DESIGNATING JANUARY , 2025, AS A NATIONAL SPECIAL SECURITY EVENT. WHAT EXACTLY DOES THAT MEAN, AND HOW DOES IT PREVENT THE TAPE OF VIOLENCE THAT WE SAW ON JANUARY , 2020? >> IT'S THE HIGHEST LEVEL OF SECURITY DESIGNATION THE GOVERNMENT HAS. IT'S GIVEN TO THINGS LIKE PRESIDENTIAL INAUGURATIONS, THE SUPER BOWL, THE CONVENTION. IT CONJURES UP A WHOLE PLANNING PROCESS LED BY THE SECRET SERVICE, MORE RESOURCES, AND REALLY IMPORTANTLY, THEY DID NOT MAKE THIS DESIGNATION JANUARY , 2021, AND A LOT OF PEOPLE WISH THEY DID, BECAUSE IF THEY HAD, THERE WOULD HAVE BEEN MORE SECURITY IN PLACE, AND MAYBE THAT ATTACK WOULD HAVE BEEN REPELLED. THERE WAS A REAL LACK OF COORDINATION BETWEEN THE CAPITOL POLICE AND OTHER FORCES. THAT SHOULD NOT HAPPEN THIS TIME AROUND. THERE WILL BE MANY, MANY MORE RESOURCES IN PLACE

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