Speaking to most of the United States Department of Justice’s 115,000 employees either in person, or by video, on his first day on the job, Attorney General, Merrick Garland (pictured) said it was just like coming home.
He said he felt much like the day he had first walked through the doors of the Department’s headquarters in Washington — “I was 26 years old; I was there for a job interview and I was awestruck’.
Mr Garland went on to thank employees for their dedication to Public Service, as he took over a Department that had been rife with allegations of political interference under the previous Administration of President Donald Trump.
His first day as Attorney General came five days before the fifth anniversary of former President, Barack Obama nominating him to be a Supreme Court Justice, which was blocked by the then Republican-controlled Senate.
In his address, Mr Garland — confirmed by a vote of 70-30 in the Senate for this job — noted he had worked under five Attorney Generals appointed by four different Presidents, “but I know that some of you have notched up plenty more”.
He pledged to “protect” the Department from political pressure and also said investigating and holding those involved accountable for the attack on the US Capitol on 6 January would be a main priority.
Mr Garland is taking over after four years of the Trump Administration, in which there were widespread allegations of politicisation at the Department and of Attorney General, William Barr serving as the President’s personal attorney.
Washington, 13 March 2021
