Merrick Garland Plays Pontius Pilate

[Beastly Boy]

10. A little knowledge is a dangerous thing.

It was the judge, not the prosecutor, and not the crowd, who threw out the plea deal. It is this decision by the judge that prompted the DOJ to investigate. It is then that Garland determined there is a conflict of interest vetween DOJ and the office of the President. It was then that Garland determined that it was in the public interest to appoint a special counsel.

Just like the law requires him to do:

§ 600.1 Grounds for appointing a Special Counsel.

The Attorney General, or in cases in which the Attorney General is recused, the Acting Attorney General, will appoint a Special Counsel when he or she determines that criminal investigation of a person or matter is warranted and—

(a) That investigation or prosecution of that person or matter by a United States Attorney's Office or litigating Division of the Department of Justice would present a conflict of interest for the Department or other extraordinary circumstances; and

(b) That under the circumstances, it would be in the public interest to appoint an outside Special Counsel to assume responsibility for the matter.

Don't tell me that you are ignorant of this statute. You were made aware of it on DU a number of times. I may be getting a wrong impression but it seems like you are disregarding what you already know in order to satisfy a weirdly persistent urge to pile on Garland. Prove me wrong.

And you can wait until hell freezes over, but an AG may not, by law, appoint a special counsel if there is no conflict between DOJ and the office of the President. Remind me: Comer is not presently serving as President, is he?

Call me Pontius Pilate, but every single time I respond to bullshit, I feel an urgent need to wash my hands off of it after I'm done.