Cotton Demands DOJ Enforce Federal Law, Explains What Republicans Could Do to Him If He Won't

Leah Barkoukis | May 12, 2022 8:00 AM

In a letter to Attorney General Merrick Garland, Sen. Tom Cotton (R-AR) demanded to know why federal law against demonstrations outside the homes of Supreme Court justices is not being enforced.

Cotton pointed to the protests outside of Justices Thomas, Gorsuch, Barrett, Kavanaugh, Alito, and Roberts’ homes, calling it “a blatant and obvious violation of 18 USC § 1507.”

Not only was there no federal law enforcement present at the protests, despite them being publicized ahead of time, there were also no arrests made.

Worse, White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki encouraged the demonstrations to continue, Cotton pointed out, when she stated the Biden administration “certainly continue[s] to encourage [protests] outside of judges’ homes, and that’s the president’s position.”

Psaki on "protests that have been peaceful to date":

"We certainly continue to encourage that outside of judges' homes." pic.twitter.com/h3t8Jsw1Ss
— Townhall.com (@townhallcom) May 10, 2022

“Without an adequate explanation, one can only assume that you have weaponized federal law enforcement against your party’s political opponents,” Cotton wrote.

He then recalled the time he told Garland to “resign in disgrace,” and said if he doesn’t enforce the law equally, “perhaps the next Congress should take matters into its own hands with impeachment proceedings.”

18 U.S.C. § 1507 prohibits picketing or parading outside a judge’s home to influence them in the discharge of their official duties.

I led my colleagues in asking AG Garland a simple question: as Supreme Court Justices are being targeted, do you intend to enforce the law? (1/2) pic.twitter.com/xczBqrabih
— Rep. Claudia Tenney (@RepTenney) May 11, 2022