Attorney General Merrick Garland says the DOJ's job 'is not to take orders from the president'
Attorney General Merrick Garland will target the narrative that Democrats benefit from a two-tiered justice system in his opening statement before the House Judiciary Committee on Wednesday.
Republicans across the country have pointed to Hunter Biden's case as a prime example of such a system, contrasting his treatment with that of former President Trump. Excerpts of Garland's planned remarks obtained by Fox News Digital show the Biden appointee will reject allegations of bias, as well as go on to chide unnamed figures for "singling out" career officials for public criticism.
"Our job is to uphold the rule of law. That means that we apply the same laws to everyone. There is not one set of laws for the powerful and another for the powerless; one for the rich, another for the poor; one for Democrats, another for Republicans; or different rules, depending upon one’s race or ethnicity or religion," Garland plans to say.
"Our job is to pursue justice, without fear or favor. Our job is not to do what is politically convenient. Our job is not to take orders from the president, from Congress, or from anyone else, about who or what to criminally investigate. As the President himself has said, and I reaffirm here today: I am not the President’s lawyer. I will also add that I am not Congress’s prosecutor," the remarks continue.
Attorney General Merrick Garland speaks during a meeting with all the U.S. attorneys in Washington, D.C., Wednesday, June 14, 2023. (AP/Jose Luis Magana)
"The Justice Department works for the American people. Our job is to follow the facts and the law, wherever they lead. And that is what we do. All of us at the Justice Department recognize that with this work comes public scrutiny, criticism, and legitimate oversight. These are appropriate and important given the gravity of the matters before the Department. But singling out individual career public servants who are just doing their jobs is dangerous – particularly at a time of increased threats to the safety of public servants and their families. We will not be intimidated. We will do our jobs free from outside interference. And we will not back down from defending our democracy," he plans to say.
At Wednesday's hearing, led by committee chairman Rep. Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, members plan to examine how the Justice Department became "politicized and weaponized under the leadership of Attorney General Merrick Garland."
The committee, led by Chairman Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, titled the hearing, "Oversight of the U.S. Department of Justice." Members plan to examine how the Justice Department became "politicized and weaponized under the leadership of Attorney General Merrick Garland." (Al Drago/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
The committee has been investigating the alleged politicization of the DOJ throughout the Biden administration. Most recently, IRS whistleblowers came to Congress to testify that prosecutorial decisions made throughout the yearslong federal investigation into Hunter Biden have been influenced by politics.
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However, Democrats have complained that Republicans are stealing the "two-tiered" terminology from the civil rights movement.
Republicans across the country have pointed to Hunter Biden's case as a prime example of a two-tiered justice system, contrasting his treatment with that of former President Trump. (Fox News)
"Since January 6th, these Republicans and Trump have complained about a two-tier justice system, co-opting the language of the decades-long civil rights movement for Black lives and Black freedom," Rep. Maxwell Frost, D-Fla., said in a July hearing.
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"There is a two-tier justice system, but it’s not about Democrats versus Republican," Frost continued. "This language, two-tier justice system, has a real history. It has a real history of Emmitt Till. It has a real history with Breonna Taylor. It has a real history with George Floyd, the Central Park Five."
Garland is scheduled to testify Wednesday morning at 10 a.m. ET.
Fox News' Brooke Singman contributed to this report.
Anders Hagstrom is a reporter with Fox News Digital covering national politics and major breaking news events. Send tips to
