Attorney General Merrick Garland condemns “dangerous” and “outrageous” attacks on prosecutors and Justice Department employees

WASHINGTON – Attorney General Merrick Garland on Thursday condemned “dangerous” and “outrageous” attacks on prosecutors and Justice Department employees and sought to assure them that he stands behind them.

In a speech to his staff, Garland said there had been “an escalation of attacks on lawyers, agents and other Justice Department personnel” over the past three and a half years.

“These attacks have taken the form of conspiracy theories, dangerous falsehoods, attempts to intimidate and intimidate officials through repeated and public shaming, and threats of actual violence,” Garland said. “It is dangerous and outrageous that we have to endure this.”

“It is dangerous to attack and intimidate individual members of this department simply for doing their jobs,” Garland added. “And it is outrageous that you have to face these baseless attacks for doing the right thing and upholding the rule of law.”

The attorney general said he and other department officials would “vigorously protect the Justice Department’s independence from political interference in our criminal investigations,” would not allow the department to be used “as a political weapon,” and would not allow law enforcement to be “treated as a political apparatus.”

Garland listed steps the department has already taken to protect the Justice Department’s criminal and civil decisions, including reinstating policies governing communications between Justice Department officials and Congress and the White House, improving and clarifying policies governing sensitive FBI investigations, and issuing new policies to govern “prosecutor’s discretion with respect to charging, confessions, and sentencing.”

Regarding the attacks on prosecutors, he said: “You deserve better. You deserve gratitude for the noble and difficult work you do. You deserve recognition for the integrity and skill with which you do that work.”

“You also have my promise that nothing will ever stop me from defending this department and the extraordinary people who work here,” Garland said.

Since leaving office in 2021, former President Donald Trump has repeatedly criticized the Justice Department for its investigation and charges against him. Trump and his lawyers have claimed that the Justice Department was used as a weapon against him to prevent his re-election as president.

Trump’s campaign team did not immediately respond to NBC News’ request for comment on Garland’s remarks.

The former president has called Justice Department employees derogatory names, including calling special counsel Jack Smith, who has prosecuted Trump on several counts, “mentally deranged.” He has also threatened prosecutors, saying in a Truth Social post last year in reference to the 2020 election interference allegations against him, “IF YOU PURSUIT ME, I’LL PURSUIT YOU!” Judges have subsequently issued news gag orders in various cases to prevent Trump from speaking about certain officials.

Smith was even the target of a swatting incident, as were judges who were involved in Trump’s cases.

During the six-week hush money trial in New York earlier this year, Trump said almost daily outside the courtroom that Biden’s Justice Department was being used as a weapon against him. The case was not a federal one, however; it was brought by Alvin Bragg, the Manhattan district attorney. Trump was ultimately found guilty on 34 counts of falsifying business records.

In recent weeks, Trump has escalated his previous threats to use the Justice Department to prosecute people he believes have acted against him while he was away.

After a recent rally, Trump wrote on social media: “IF I WIN, the people who CHEATED will be punished to the fullest extent of the law, including lengthy prison sentences. Please note that these legal consequences also extend to lawyers, political operatives, donors, illegal voters and corrupt election officials.”