Tipsheet

Surprise, Surprise: White House Won't Even Discuss Whether AG Garland Committed Perjury

Rebecca Downs
Rebecca Downs  |  June 27, 2023 8:00 PM

It's been a rather busy few days for the Biden administration's Department of Justice (DOJ), especially when it comes to damning revelations that Attorney General Merrick Garland and David Weiss, the U.S. Attorney assigned to the Hunter Biden case, may have colluded to mislead Congress. The White House looks to be as tight-lipped as possible about taking any questions on the matter, as evidenced by Tuesday's press briefing. 

To recap, there has been a conflicting back-and-forth between Garland and Weiss as to if the latter had full authority to charge Hunter Biden. Weiss, according to IRS whistleblower Gary Shapley, had told several people that he did not have the authority to charge in other districts and was requesting special counsel status. Garland, however, said that Weiss did have that authority. 

Then, on Monday, it was revealed that Weiss had told the House Judiciary Committee in a June 7 letter that he did have the full authority. He was answering a letter from last month sent from the committee to Garland. 

All of these details raise questions, except that they're questions the White House won't answer. Towards the very end of the press briefing, a reporter asked Principal Deputy Press Secretary Olivia Dalton for a "follow up on last week," which is understandable, as more information seems to be coming out by the hour that shows the Biden administration and the first family in a damning light. 

"Does the White House believe Attorney General Garland committed perjury when he testified under oath that Delaware U.S. Attorney David Weiss could bring charges outside of his district," the reporter went on to ask. Dalton not only said "I don't have any comment on this," shooting down the question, but she refused to take any more questions from that reporter, instead making it clear she was "moving on."

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Chairman Jim Jordan (R-OH) of the House Judiciary Committee, certainly has questions. He sent another letter, this time to Weiss, on June 22, demanding answers to questions that in part ask who helped him write that letter on Garland's behalf. 

It also looks like Garland himself will have to answer to Jordan and his committee. NBC News reported on Tuesday afternoon that the attorney general is scheduled to testify on September 20, noting that "two sources familiar with the matter confirmed" to the outlet. 

Predictably, NBC News noted that the DOJ "declined to comment on the upcoming hearing."

In a tweet from Sunday, House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) expressed an openness to impeaching Garland. He doubled down in a tweet from earlier on Tuesday. 

Larry O'Connor laid out the case for impeachment perfectly in a column from earlier on Tuesday.