Merrick Garland can investigate Hunter Biden, but not to stop RW intimidation of election officials

[f_townsend]

This shouldn't be happening anywhere in the United States, but it's happening almost all over. You would think that Garland would be holding weekly press conferences to address this crisis, ramping up DOJ efforts 1000-fold to snuff it out. He has the resources to do it.

An attorney general RFK and others would never have let this slide. A few DOJ-released press releases ain't going to do the trick.

https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2022/oct/27/us-midterms-rural-california-voters-election-officials-fear-for-safety

‘A madness has taken hold’ ahead of US midterms: local election officials fear for safety

In two rural California counties, voters are showing increasing hostility and aggression toward election workers

Thu 27 Oct 2022 06.00 EDT

Inside the office of the Shasta county clerk and registrar of voters, which runs elections for about 111,000 people in this part of far northern California, Cathy Darling Allen can see all the security improvements she would make if she had the budget.

“We have plexi on the counter downstairs for Covid but that won’t stop a person. It’s literally just clamped to the counters,” the county clerk and registrar said. For about $50,000, the office could secure the front, limiting access to upstairs offices, she estimated. Another county put bulletproof glass in their lobby years earlier, she knew, something officials there at one point considered removing, though not any more.

Elections offices didn’t used to think about security in this way, Allen said. Now they can’t afford not to.

Following Donald Trump’s refusal to acknowledge his defeat in the 2020 presidential election, Allen says the once low-profile job of non-partisan local election official has transformed in counties like hers. A culture of misinformation has sown doubt in the US election system and subjected officials from Nevada to Michigan to harassment and threats. The FBI has received more than 1,000 reports of threats against election workers in the past year alone.

[dem4decades]

1. Whoa, let's not get the DOJ involved with politics.

[brooklynite]

2. How tiring...

Out of curiosity, when did DOJ has ALL THE EVIDENCE it needed for a successful prosecution of Donald Trump. Based of course on your professional experience as a prosecutor.

[f_townsend]

3. Appears you selected the incorrect response from a ready-made "defend Merrick Garland" lot responses

Because my OP had nothing do with any investigation of Trump; it concerns intimidation of local election officials throughout the nation.

[TwilightZone]

10. Who do you think they're investigating?

Trump is the reason for the intimidation. Sometimes, he's the one doing the intimidating. As noted in the article, the significant increase of late is due to Trump's refusal to acknowledge his loss.

[emulatorloo]

4. ' A few DOJ-released press releases....' You need to be looking at COURT FILINGS from the DOJ

of which there are plenty. Then you would have a better understanding about the shit ton the DOJ is doing.

All you have to do is read reputable news sources to find this out.

BTW DOJ doesn’t really do press releases.

BTW I thought the talking point was Garland is “covering up the Hunter Biden investigation for the Biden Crime Family.”

[f_townsend]

5. Where are the press conferences being held about RW intimidation of election officials?

It merely means the very end of our democratic system, just a small thing...

[emulatorloo]

7. See elleng's post below.

[elleng]

6. Oh right, because the Attorney General ALWAYS publicly announces everything s/he's doing.

[f_townsend]

9. What, is it supposed to be a state-secret to go after intimidation of election officials?

Yeah, let's not make it known that we're going hard after anyone and everyone who dares to threaten and intimidate local election officials. We can't let them we're going to put a stop to it.

Are you for real?

[elleng]

12. I am for real, a real (retired) attorney, and have SOME understanding of how our legal system works.

[f_townsend]

14. There's plenty of Democratic lawyers who are unhappy with Garland's milquetoast performance n/t

[emulatorloo]

18. 'Many many very fine people are saying...'

[blue neen]

8. You absolutely do not know what RFK would have done.

No one does.

[f_townsend]

11. RFK made it widely known he was going after the mob

And coordinated wide federal resources to get the job done. He was absolutely ruthless and determined, something the most timid man in America -- Merrick Garland -- certainly isn't.

[blue neen]

13. You do not know.

You don 't.

Complete speculation.

[emulatorloo]

15. 'most timid man in America -- Merrick Garland'. Tells me you don't know a damn thing about

Garland’s history as a prosecutor.

I see this baseless accusation is a recurring theme for you.

[f_townsend]

16. "Timid" might as well be Merrick Garland's middle name n/t

[emulatorloo]

17. Fact-free speculative nonsense.

[AZSkiffyGeek]

19. It's all the Veruca Salt Squad has...

And once indictments are announced, they'll rush to quote Republican pundits on their favorite news talk show saying it won't matter, or some other goalpost move.

[emulatorloo]

21. Sadly, I think you have nailed it.

[Sewa]

23. It's been on full display for two years

Garland is a HUGE disappointment

[Cha]

41. It's just Speculation that is presented as "fact"

It's not happening on others' Timeline so the worst case scenario is pushed.

[pwb]

20. We like the people Joe put in place here?

He is doing just fine.

[f_townsend]

27. Who's "we"?

[pwb]

29. Everybody but you.

Where have you been? Listen to Midas touch you may learn something about Law. Nobody has to please your will.

[f_townsend]

31. "Everybody"!!!

https://www.esquire.com/news-politics/politics/a42486320/merrick-garland-special-counsel-biden-trump/

https://www.msnbc.com/the-reidout/reidout-blog/garland-special-counsel-biden-trump-rcna65767

https://www.cnn.com/2022/06/08/politics/democrats-frustrated-garland-january-6-investigation-trump/index.html

“None of it makes sense to me,” Democratic Rep. Jim Clyburn of South Carolina told CNN of Garland’s approach. “You can’t take politics out of politics. All of these things happening around us are happening within the realm of the political process. You just do your job as best you can, and you can’t go around second-guessing what may or may not be political.”

Garland’s pace, Democratic Rep. Ruben Gallego of Arizona told CNN, could come at an enormous cost for the country.

“I’m just not seeing the urgency from the attorney general,” said Gallego. “He’s thinking more about protecting the institution of the Department of Justice. And I appreciate that, but he has to be thinking about protecting the institution of democracy.”

[pwb]

32. You convinced us all

of nothing. Us and Everybody is D U in general. We like Joe and his People. Done with you. Peace to you.

[Beastly Boy]

22. You are about 2 years late with your Garland bashing

The DOJ Task Force to Combat Threats Against Election Workers has been active since July 29, 2021, about four months after Garland took office, and is still active, without much fanfare and self-congratulatory backslapping.

https://www.justice.gov/opa/blog/justice-department-launches-task-force-combat-threats-against-election-workers-0

A whole separate dedicated section of DOJ to stop RW intimidation of election officials. Do you really expect them to conduct weekly press conferences to crow about themselves?

[emulatorloo]

24. Thanks.

[f_townsend]

26. You're "thanking" someone for linking to a press release

After earlier claiming "DOJ doesn’t really do press releases."

You should have added: "Garland doesn't really do much as an AG."

[emulatorloo]

28. I see you're fact-averse as well as fact-free.

[Beastly Boy]

35. If you are judging DOJ exclusively by the number of press releases, you are right.

They don't do them often. But you may be shocked to learn, this is not the only criteria for evaluating Garland's competence.

Still, one press release in two years turns out to be sufficient to question your awareness of the issue you raised in the OP.

[f_townsend]

25. It's been a middling effort

Not much has changed. As my OP stated, it needs and needed to be ramped up 1000x.

Garland is supposed to scream to the high heavens about this, if necessary. Any competent AG would be pursuing this like a rabid dog.

https://www.nytimes.com/2023/04/18/us/politics/trump-supporters-election-official-threats.html

April 18, 2023

After Threats and Clashes With Republicans, Another Texas Election Official Quits

[Sewa]

30. They know Garland's DOJ isn't to be feared

Thanks for bringing this issue up.

[Beastly Boy]

36. You must know something that only "they" know.

At least I appear to be totally oblivious to what "they" know. Care to define who "they" are and how come you know what they know?

I am curious.

[BumRushDaShow]

33. The very last sentence at the bottom of your link has this

The threats have led to eight arrests by a Justice Department task force that was created in 2021 to focus on attempts to intimidate election officials.

The J6 Committee had a whole hearing on the "threats" - giving examples for "public consumption" since they were not doing the prosecutions (i.e., litigators can't prosecute in the press). Philly's former City Commissioner (one of three who handle elections for the city) testified twice including here, regarding the death threats -

As a note, he is now the Acting Secretary of State for the state of PA, appointed by our new (D) governor Josh Shapiro.

We also know the 2 workers in GA (Ruby Freeman and Shaye Moss - mother and daughter) who were defamed by 45 and they had testified as well (and have a suit going) -

President Biden honored them and some officers with "Presidential Citizen's Medals" -

The Senate Judiciary Committee also held hearings on this last August where they got an update from the DOJ Task Force -

I know that I have posted actual video press conferences & press releases from DOJ, and hearings with DOJ testimony, and most of DU yawns because there is so much else going on (including in their own lives).

[Beastly Boy]

34. Who gets to define "middling effort"?

And why would you think screaming to high heavens projects competence? Have you ever tried it yourself in response to a problem that requires real solutions? Would you consider screaming to high heavens a legitimate expression of confidence in a dedicated team of highly qualified law enforcement professionals adequately prepared to handle the job? To me, that would signify a hysterical reaction that shows paralyzing incompetence of a department leader in using the resources previously designated for the task.

[f_townsend]

37. Who gets to decide?

1) Local election officials who've been threatened and hounded off their jobs, but who would ordinarily still be serving the public in their role had someone other than Merrick Garland been the AG

2) The American people, who are being confronted by right wing fascism -- aided and abetted by the most timid man in America, Merrick Garland.

[Beastly Boy]

38. The local officials did not indicate, let alone decide that DOJ efforts were in any way insufficient

That goes double for the American people.

I would welcome any legitimate source that would state to the contrary.

Your move. Remember, legitimate source.

[f_townsend]

39. Yeah, what the little people -- ordinary Americans -- think is insignificant to you n/t

[Beastly Boy]

40. So no source. Color me shocked.

NEXT!