Gaetz Grills Garland on Trump Lawfare and DOJ's Possible Involvement

Attorney General Merrick Garland sat before the House Judiciary Committee this week, where House Republicans questioned him about the Department of Justice's (DOJ) potential involvement in the recent New York trial against former President Donald Trump. The AG dismissed the claim as a conspiracy theory he would not be intimidated by, only for Representative Matt Gaetz (R-FL) to ask if it is indeed a conspiracy theory, to let House Republicans view any correspondence between the DOJ and District Attorney Alvin Bragg, who prosecuted the Trump case.

"You have told us it is a dangerous conspiracy theory to allege that the Department of Justice is communicating with these state and local prosecutions against Trump. You can clear it all up for us right now. Will the Department of Justice provide to the Committee all documents [and] all correspondence between the Department and Alvin Bragg's office, Fani Willis's office, and Letitia James's office?" Rep. Gaetz asked.

AG Garland replied that their offices are independent and that the DOJ has no control over them. Any documents requested would be handled through the DOJ's Office of Legislators.

"But here is the thing," Rep. Gaetz countered, "you come in here, and you launch this attack that it is a conspiracy theory that there was coordinated lawfare against Trump. And then when we say, 'Fine, just give us the documents, give us the correspondence, and then if it is a conspiracy theory, that will be evident.' But when you say, 'Well, we will take your request, and then we will sort of work it through the DOJ's accommodation process, then you are actually advancing the very dangerous conspiracy theory that you are concerned about."

Afterward, Gaetz commented to The Floridian, reiterating that Garland's refusal to hand over any communications between the DOJ and Bragg's office to the House only makes him look more guilty of the same conspiracy he is denying exists.

"There might be damning material," the Florida Congressman told us, "there might be damning material in the documents and in the evidence that contradicts sworn testimony, and they might be worried about perjury."

When The Floridian asked if the House could subpoena the documents, Gaetz said it was probable, and "we can then utilize Congressional contempt powers in order to obtain those records," adding that this should be pursued "with even greater vigor than we do as it relates to the Joe Biden transcript tape," referring to the audio of President Biden's interview with Special Counsel Robert Hur that Republicans have sought.

"There is this thing about teeing up contempt against Garland. I want to make sure it is the right contempt. It should be regarding the coordinated lawfare to target Trump. Listening to Joe Biden stutter on an audio tape is probably less interesting to me than what they are doing to the Constitution and to the former President," Gaetz concluded.