WASHINGTON —
Attorney General Merrick Garland on Wednesday came face-to-face with his most ardent critics as House Republicans used a routine oversight hearing to interrogate him about what they claim is the "weaponization" of the Justice Department under President Joe Biden.
Garland is appearing before the House Judiciary Committee for the first time in two years and at an unprecedented moment in the Justice Department’s history: He’s overseeing two cases against Donald Trump, the first former president to face criminal charges, and another against the sitting president’s son, Hunter Biden.
Republicans on the committee — led by Rep. Jim Jordan, the chairman — came out of the gate with accusations that the Justice Department is protecting the Biden family, while targeting his opponent, Trump.
"There’s one investigation protecting President Biden. There’s another one attacking President Trump," Jordan, Republican of Ohio, said in his opening statement. "The Justice Department’s got both sides of the equation covered."
