January 1, AG Garland Doubles Down on Jan. 6 Prosecutions

Attorney General Merrick Garland defended the Justice Department’s prosecution of participants of the January 6 riot, saying that charges may extend to people who didn’t set foot in the Capitol.

“The actions we have taken thus far will not be our last. The Justice Department remains committed to holding all January 6 perpetrators at any level, accountable under law, whether they were present that day, or were otherwise criminally responsible for the assault on our democracy. We will follow the facts wherever they lead,” Garland said.

According to The Hill, Garland’s “remarks came as Democratic lawmakers voice impatience with the Department of Justice’s (DOJ) apparent unwillingness to target leaders who may have prompted the attack on the Capitol.”

Garland defended the DOJ’s strategy in a lengthy speech on the eve of the incident’s one-year anniversary.

“We build investigations by laying a foundation. We resolve more straightforward cases first because they provide the evidentiary foundation for more complex cases. Investigating the more overt crimes, generates linkages to less overt ones. Overt actors and the evidence they provide can lead us to others who may also have been involved and that evidence can serve as a foundation for further investigative leads and techniques,” Garland said.

“Those involved must be held accountable. And there is no higher priority for us at the Department of Justice,” he added.

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Garland vows prosecutions ‘at any level’ over Jan. 6