Attorney General Merrick Garland and the Department of Justice have to this point resisted calls to charge the former president for his role in the assault on the U.S. Capitol – which resulted in multiple deaths and severe injuries – and for his role in the assault on American Democracy itself.
But the department has faced backlash from legal experts and lawmakers for dragging its feet when it comes to zeroing in on Trump’s central role in the insurrection and succumbing to concerns about a potentially violent far-right reaction to any charges against the former president—and likely 2024 hopeful.
However, the political and leagal reality of the DOJ’s concerns are exposed in one sentence by Jeff Hauser, executive director of the Revolving Door Project:
The worst possible politicization is allowing guilty people to go uncharged because the Department of Justice fears criticism for following the law where it leads.
See Lawmakers Say DOJ ‘Must Bring Charges’ Against Trump Amid New Jan. 6 Bombshells at CommonDreams.org
