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":
— Townhall.com (@townhallcom) May 10, 2022
"We certainly continue to encourage that outside of judges' homes." pic.twitter.com/h3t8Jsw1Ss
“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.”
Senator Cotton’s letter to Attorney General Garland deserves wide distribution. More important by far is that the AG enforce the law immediately. pic.twitter.com/ISIKyaXjIq
— Hugh Hewitt (@hughhewitt) May 11, 2022
Anyone protesting outside a judge’s home should be arrested and charged with a federal crime. pic.twitter.com/FmtkMtu46q
— Tom Cotton (@SenTomCotton) May 10, 2022
Other GOP lawmakers made similar inquiries.
18 U.S.C. § 1507 prohibits picketing or parading outside a judge’s home to influence them in the discharge of their official duties.
— Rep. Claudia Tenney (@RepTenney) May 11, 2022
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