Merrick Garland says Justice Department won't be a "political weapon"

INVEST BILLIONS IN REPLACING CHINESE-BUILT CRANES. >>> ATTORNEY GENERAL MERRICK GARLAND DENOUNCED WHAT HE CALLED AN ESCALATION OF ATTACKS AGAINST THE JUSTICE DEPARTMENT DURING A THURSDAY SPEECH THAT GOT FIERY AND EMOTIONAL AT TIMES. >> OUR NORMS ARE A PROMISE THAT WE WILL NOT ALLOW THIS NATION TO BECOME A COUNTRY WHERE LAW ENFORCEMENT IS TREATED AS AN APPARATUS OF POLITICS. >> GARLAND'S COMMENTS CAME AMID A RISE IN THREATS AGAINST NOT ONLY JUSTICE DEPARTMENT EMPLOYEES, BUT OTHER LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICIALS AND MEMBERS OF CONGRESS. HE SOUNDED THE ALARM ABOUT THE WHAT HE CALLED WORRYING SPIKE OF THESE THREATS DURING CONGRESSIONAL TESTIMONY BACK IN JUNE. CBS NEWS CONGRESSIONAL CORRESPONDENT SCOTT MacFARLANE HAS BEEN FOLLOWING THIS STORY AND JOINS US FROM CAPITOL HILL NOW. SCOTT, WHAT PROMPTED THE TIMING? WHY NOW FOR THE ATTORNEY GENERAL TO HOLD THIS PRESS CONFERENCE? >> Reporter: IT WAS QUITE STRIKING HE DID IT PUBLICLY, JOHN. THIS WAS AN INTERNAL MEETING OF DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE OFFICIALS AND EMPLOYEES TO WHOM MERRICK GARLAND WAS SPEAKING. HE COULD HAVE DONE IT ON ZOOM OR IN A WINDOWLESS CONFERENCE ROOM. INSTEAD HE FOUND AN AUDITORIUM, A MICROPHONE, AND INVITED CAMERAS TO MAKE AN EXTERNAL MESSAGE OUT OF THIS, TOO. TWO DIFFERENT THEMES HERE AND THEY'RE HAPPENING ABOUT 50 DAYS AWAY FROM AN ELECTION. I THINK THAT MIGHT HAVE BEEN PART OF THE TIMING, IS TO SEND A MESSAGE AT AN IMPACTFUL MOMENT, THAT THE DEPARTMENT MUST NOT BE CAUGHT UP IN POLITICS, WILL NOT BE CAUGHT UP IN POLITICS, WILL NOT BE AN EXTENSION OF POLITICAL ARMS. IT'S BEEN A CONSISTENT MESSAGE FROM HIM. HE WANTED TO AMPLIFY IT TODAY BY SAYING IT IN FRONT OF A BROADER AUDIENCE, BUT ALSO SPEAKING TO WHAT WE'VE HEARD OVER THE PAST 48 HOURS FROM LOCAL ELECTION OFFICIALS, FROM LOCAL COUNTY CLERKS, THAT THERE IS A TARGETED MENACING OF PUBLIC OFFICIALS GOING ON IN THIS ELECTION CYCLE AND WHAT THE ATTORNEY GENERAL SAID TODAY IS YES, HE RECOGNIZES HIS EMPLOYEES AT THE DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE ARE FACING HARASSMENT, MENACING, AND THREATS SIMPLY FOR DOING THEIR JOBS. TRIED TO SAY I THINK IN SOME FORM, JOHN, WE HAVE YOUR BACK AND WE SEE YOU. >> SO HE'S TALKING ABOUT POLITICAL INFLUENCE, BUT IS THERE A SUBTEXT HERE ABOUT WHICH SIDE, WHETHER IT'S DONALD TRUMP AND HIS ALLIES OR DEMOCRATS? IS HE POINTING EVEN IN THE SUBTEXT FINGERS AT ONE SIDE OR ANOTHER? >> Reporter: IT'S A REALLY GOOD QUESTION. HE DIDN'T NAME NAMES. HE DIDN'T NAME PARTIES. HE IS A PARTICULARLY EFFECTIVE MESSENGER AT THE DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE FOR WHY THE DEPARTMENT MUST BE APOLITICAL. HE FACES QUESTIONS ABOUT DONALD TRUMP ALL THE TIME AND OFTEN RESPONDS WITH THIS DEPARTMENT STAYS CLEAR AND FREE FROM POLITICS. WAS THERE A SUBTEXT? WELL, LET'S TALK ABOUT THE TIMING. HE'S GIVING THIS MESSAGE THAT THE DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE WILL NOT BE AN EXTENSION OF A POLITICAL ARM, OF A POLITICAL PART OF THIS GOVERNMENT DAYS AFTER DONALD TRUMP POSTED ON SOCIAL MEDIA ABOUT THE NEED TO PROSECUTE CERTAIN PEOPLE, DONORS, LAWYERS, SOME CAMPAIGNS FOR THEIR POLITICAL ACTIVITIES. IT'S HARD TO ESCAPE THE JUXTAPOSITION OF TRUMP'S SOCIAL MEDIA POSTS AND MERRICK GARLAND SAYING WE WILL NOT BE AN EXTENSION OF POLITICS. >> I'VE GOT A COUPLE OTHER MATTERS IN WASHINGTON. ONE IS ON WEDNESDAY THE DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY DECLARED JANUARY 6th, 2025, SO FOUR YEARS AFTER THE ATTACK ON THE CAPITOL, THAT THEY DECLARED IT A NATIONAL SPECIAL SECURITY EVENT. IS THAT ALWAYS THE CASE FOR THAT DATE OR IS THERE SOMETHING NEW THAT'S WARRANTED THAT SPECIAL SECURITY MEASURE? >> Reporter: IT IS NOT ALWAYS THE CASE. LET'S TAKE A STEP BACK. IMAGINE YOU'RE IN A PREJANUARY 6, 2021 ROLL AND SOMEBODY SAID THE MINISTERIAL ELECTORAL CERTIFICATION NEEDS TO BE A SECURITY EVENT AND YOU'D GO WHY? THAT SOUNDS CRAZY. IT'S SUCH A MUNDANE THING. OR IN A POST JANUARY 6, 2021 WORLD WHERE THE CONGRESSIONAL OFFICIALS SAY THEY WANT TO SEND HOMELAND SECURITY EXTRA HELP, EXTRA SECURITY, EXTRA REINFORCEMENT, WE'LL TAKE IT, NO HARM THERE. I TALKED TO A FEW MEMBERS OF CONGRESS WHO SAID IF YOU'RE TRYING TO TAKE BETTER SOLACE IN THE CAPITOL BEING BETTER PROTECTED ON JANUARY 6, 2025, IT'S NOT WHERE WE FEEL VULNERABLE NOW. IT'S THE SOFTER TARGETS ELSEWHERE IN THE COUNTRY AFTER JANUARY 5th. I SPOKE WITH JAMIE RASKIN WHO WAS ON THE JANUARY 6th HOUSE SELECTION COMMITTEE. HERE'S WHAT HE SAID ABOUT THE NEW HOMELAND SECURITY POSTURE HERE AT THE CAPITOL. >> I THINK WE LEARNED ON JANUARY 6th WE CAN NEVER HAVE TOO MUCH SECURITY BECAUSE YOU DON'T KNOW WHAT SOMEONE'S GOING TO THROW AT YOU. YOU KNOW, WE CAN'T PREPARE FOR EVERY ATTEMPT AT A POLITICAL COUP OR VIOLENT INSURRECTION, BUT WE CERTAINLY CAN ANTICIPATE THE POSSIBILITY OF THINGS HAPPENING AGAIN THAT HAPPENED BEFORE AND WE SHOULD MAKE SURE THAT THERE'S INVULNERABLE PHYSICAL SECURITY AT THE CAPITOL. >> JOHN, THERE IS THIS SIDE BENEFIT. YOU SAY IT'S A NATIONAL SECURITY EVENT, YOU SEND A BIGGER MESSAGE TO THE WORLD WE ARE READY. WE'RE ON A WAR FOOTING. >> FINAL QUESTION, SCOTT, AND IT'S RELATED. ONE OF THE WAYS IN WHICH MAYHEM GROWS AROUND ELECTION TIME IS IF THERE IS CONFUSION, IF PEOPLE THINK THEY'RE GETTING AWAY WITH SOMETHING AND THE RULES AREN'T CLEAR FOR EVERYBODY AND YOU ALSO MENTIONED MAIL-IN BALLOTS. WHAT'S HAPPENING THERE? >> Reporter: THE STATE-ELECTED OFFICIALS, THE SECRETARIES OF STATE, BOTH PARTIES AROUND THE COUNTRY, ARE TELLING THE POSTAL SERVICE GET UP TO SPEED HERE. CHECK YOUR STAFFING LEVELS, TRAINING. THERE'S A RISK BALLOTS WILL BE DELIVERED LATE OR SOME WILL BE RETURNED UNDELIVERABLE. THERE WAS A WHOLE THROWDOWN IN 2020 WHERE THE POSTAL SERVICE AND POSTMASTER GENERAL TOOK GRIEF FOR MOVING SOME EQUIPMENT OUT OF PLACE BEFORE THE ELECTION AMID FEARS IT WOULD SLOW DOWN THE RETURNS. PROBLEMS DID NOT OCCUR IN 2020 IN THAT SENSE AND THEY DON'T WANT IT HAPPENING HERE. WHAT I'D SAY IS IT'S NOT A FIVE- ALARM FIRE. IT'S LIKE A FIRE DRILL. LET'S GET UP TO SPEED, THE SAME WAY IF YOUR SON OR DAUGHTER COMES HOME WITH A BAD GRADE ON MIDTERMS. YOU SAY GET YOUR ACT TOGETHER IF YOU WANT THE REPORT CARD TO LOOK BETTER WHEN THE SEMESTER ENDS. >> SCOTT MacFARLANE