Attorney General Merrick Garland restricted the Justice Department’s contact with the White House in a sharp break from the policies of former President Donald Trump, who often urged the agency to investigate or prosecute political foes or other entities.
“The success of the Department of Justice depends upon the trust of the American people,” Garland wrote in the five-page memo on Wednesday. “That trust must be earned every day, and we can do so only through our adherence to the long-standing departmental norms of independence from inappropriate influences, the principled exercise of discretion and the treatment of like cases alike.”
The DOJ vowed not to “advise the White House concerning pending or contemplated civil or criminal enforcement investigations or cases unless doing so is important” regarding the “president’s duties” or law enforcement. Garland also insisted attorneys general, U.S. attorneys, and investigative bosses have “the primary responsibility” to supervise matters related to police.
