How true — and they don’t give a rip that we know.
Mr. Garland will face dozens of questions from Republicans and Democrats, some of them dovetailing with the impeachment inquiry that will be led by the Oversight and Accountability panel, which plans to hold its first hearing on Sept. 28.
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Here are some of the toughest questions Mr. Garland should have to answer on Wednesday.
1. What did he tell David Weiss about his authority as Delaware’s U.S. attorney to charge President Biden’s son, Hunter Biden, in the department’s investigation of his tax fraud and gun crimes? Was he aware of the sweetheart plea deal that would have provided him blanket immunity?
Mr. Garland told Senate lawmakers at a March hearing Mr. Weiss “has full authority” to bring cases against Hunter Biden in any jurisdiction.
It contradicts IRS whistleblower Gary Shapley’s notes from an Oct. 7, 2022 meeting with Mr. Weiss, in which he said Mr. Weiss told FBI and IRS officials “he is not the deciding person” on whether to charge the president’s son.
Justice Department officials offered Hunter Biden a series of plea deals to settle the case and at one point was negotiating a deal in which the president’s son would not be charged with anything at all.
2. Should former President Trump be imprisoned if he is convicted of the charges he is facing in two federal criminal cases?
Special counsel Jack Smith has levied more than 40 criminal charges against Mr. Trump, 77, over his possession and handling of classified government materials and for his actions following the 2020 presidential election. The charges carry sentences that add up to 175 years in prison for Mr. Trump, who is the likely 2024 Republican presidential nominee.
3. What is the status of Special counsel Robert Hur’s investigation into President Biden’s possession of classified documents dating back to his vice presidency and time as a U.S. Senator from Delaware?
Mr. Garland appointed Mr. Hur special counsel on Jan. 12 to investigate Mr. Biden’s handling of dozens of boxes of documents that included classified records found. The documents were found at his think tank in Washington and at his home in Wilmington, Delaware.
Mr. Biden recently said there are no plans for him to speak to Mr. Hur as part of the investigation and Mr. Hur has not signaled a timetable for completing the investigation.
Mr. Hur’s probe is moving much slower than the Justice Department’s investigation of Mr. Trump’s classified documents. Mr. Garland appointed Jack Smith special counsel in November 2022 to investigate the Trump case. Mr. Smith concluded his investigation and indicted Mr. Trump in June.
4. What steps is the Justice Department taking to alleviate a massive backlog in the immigration courts that has fueled the Biden administration’s catch-and-release policy?
Mr. Jordan, Ohio Republican, has been unable to obtain information from the Justice Department on how it has been running the immigration courts and the administration’s refusal to pursue immigration cases.
The Executive Office of Immigration Review, which is run by the Justice Department, had a backlog of nearly 2 million cases as of March, up from roughly 1.3 million cases at the end of 2020. The backlog coincides with a massive migrant surge from Mexico and has resulted in the release of many migrants, who have flooded not only Texas and Arizona, but also New York City and other municipalities, overwhelming schools and government services.
5. What actions is the Justice Department taking to deal with the drastic crime surge in the nation’s capital?
Carjackings, robberies and murders have become so rampant that congressional staffers recently were warned to take precautions when using public transportation or walking city streets.
In a year-to-date comparison, there were 148 murders in the city in 2022 and 191 murders so far this year.
House Republicans blame the rising crime on U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia Matthew Graves, who they say has engaged in a pattern of not prosecuting crimes and allowing dangerous criminals back onto the streets.