Attorney General Merrick Garland has distanced himself from a contentious FBI memo.
The document identified certain devout Catholics as extremists who should be subject to additional examination.
Feeling the heat of having targeted parents for expressing disapproval over inappropriate school curriculums and labeling them as domestic terrorists, Garland voiced his concern with the document. Given his past positions, it seemed Garland was feigned outrage.
He refuted the notion that Christians deserved extra scrutiny by stating, “Catholics are not extremists.”
He revealed that his grandmother was one of the fortunate who survived the Holocaust, despite the fact that two of her siblings were murdered. In addition, he stated that serving as attorney general would allow him to “repay this country for the obligation my family owes” to the nation.
In a remark made when testifying before the House Judiciary Committee, Garland expressed his incredulity and rejection of the notion that someone from his familial history would engage in religious discrimination. He reiterated his skepticism and rejected the idea multiple times.
Garland is in charge of the FBI field office in Richmond, which has recently been under scrutiny for the contentious document it prepared. The paper uses Catholics who are devoted to a particular liturgy as an illustration of a domestic threat and singles them out specifically.
The director of the FBI, Christopher A. Wray, has stated that the letter in question is wrong and was composed by a department working in isolation within the organization.
The Judiciary Committee has previously mentioned information that implies additional field offices in Richmond were involved in the letter.
At the hearing on Wednesday, Mr. Garland was questioned regarding his perspective on the danger posed by traditional Catholics. At first, he did not respond,
saying he was unaware of what the term “traditional” meant.
Jeff Van Drew, a Republican representing New Jersey, did not let up his efforts to enact a more severe condemnation.
