Attorney General Merrick Garland defended the special counsel who brought criminal charges against Donald Trump on Wednesday, his first public comments on the former president’s indictment.
Garland, however, declined to reveal further details of the former president’s indictment for handling classified documents.
“As you know, I can’t talk about the details of this or any other ongoing criminal case,” Garland told reporters at the start of the Justice Department’s meeting with U.S. attorneys.
U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland speaks during a meeting with U.S. attorneys from the Department of Justice in Washington, DC, June 14, 2023.
Kevin Deitch | Getty Images
He was asked to share when he first learned that special counsel Jack Smith was preparing to indict. The questioner also pointed to a recent wave of criticism from Trump allies and other Republicans who have accused the Justice Department of being weaponized.
“As I said when I appointed Mr. Smith, I did so because it underscores the Justice Department’s commitment to independence and accountability,” the attorney general said.
“Mr. Smith is an experienced career prosecutor. He has assembled a team of experienced and talented prosecutors and agents who share his commitment to integrity and the rule of law,” Garland said.
“Any questions on the matter will have to be answered through the documents they file in court,” he added.
The exchange marked the first time Garland has publicly discussed Trump’s indictment on 37 counts related to his alleged mishandling of classified records stored at his Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida after leaving office.
The former president pleaded not guilty to the charges when he was arraigned in Miami federal court on Tuesday.
Garland was also asked to elaborate on whether he played a role in the prosecution. “My role under the Special Counsel’s terms is fully consistent with the rules that set out the responsibilities of the Attorney General, and I complied with those rules,” he said.
He declined a separate request to explain why the unprecedented federal indictment of the former president was the “best and most appropriate step.”
Garland appointed Smith in November, days after Trump announced he would run for the 2024 election. The attorney general, appointed by President Joe Biden, said at the time that he was taking the step so prosecutors could “make decisions guided only by facts and the law without controversy.”
Smith is in charge of a criminal investigation into the classified Mar-a-Lago documents and another criminal investigation into the Jan. 6, 2021 Capitol riot.
Still, both Trump and his defenders attacked Smith before and after the federal grand jury returned the indictment. After his arraignment, Trump attacked Smith as an “unhinged lunatic” in a campaign-style speech at his New Jersey golf club.