Attorney General Merrick Garland is set to face intense questioning from the House Judiciary Committee. He will address issues related to Donald Trump's conviction and the refusal to release audio from President Joe Biden's special counsel interview.
According to Daily Mail, Garland's appearance before the committee marks his first since Trump's conviction on 34 counts of falsifying business records over hush money payments to Stormy Daniels. Judiciary Chairman Jim Jordan has proposed defunding all Trump-related prosecutions. This proposal aims to prevent funds from being used to prosecute former or current vice presidents or presidents.
The proposal targets prosecutions led by Georgia District Attorney Fani Willis, New York District Attorney Alvin Bragg, special counsel Jack Smith, and New York Attorney General Letitia James.
Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene plans to lead an effort to block all federal funds to New York. Two House panels have already voted to advance a resolution to hold Garland in contempt for not releasing the Biden interview audio.
The Department of Justice (DOJ) released a transcript but withheld the recording of Biden's interview with Special Counsel Robert Hur. Garland has stated that the DOJ went to great lengths to provide information to the committee. He also justified the refusal to release the audio.
Trump's jury of seven men and five women reached their verdict last Thursday. Sentencing for Trump is scheduled for July 11. This trial is the first criminal trial faced by a former U.S. President.
Trump's legal team plans to appeal the conviction. He will face appellate proceedings and remain free on bail during the appeal. Each charge Trump faced could result in up to four years in prison.
The DOJ warned that releasing Biden's interview audio could lead to AI manipulation of the President's words. They emphasized concerns over audio manipulation in a detailed court filing. Garland had a deadline of April 8 to submit the requested materials from Hur's interviews.
Garland's subpoena included transcripts, notes, and audio/video files related to Hur's and Zwonitzer's interviews with Biden. The DOJ provided transcripts but withheld audio from the Hur and Zwonitzer interviews. Republicans have demanded the release of the audio recordings.
The DOJ argued that releasing audio could deter future recorded interviews. Trump's charges were elevated to felonies due to an alleged attempt to influence the 2016 election. The judge may consider the precedent-setting nature of the case regarding Trump's potential imprisonment.
Garland stated, "We have gone to extraordinary lengths to ensure that a committee gets responses to their legitimate requests, but this is not one." The DOJ also noted, "The passage of time and advancements in audio, artificial intelligence, and 'deep fake' technologies only amplify concerns about malicious manipulation of audio files."
They added, "If the audio recording is released here, it is easy to foresee that it could be improperly altered, and that the altered file could be passed off as an authentic recording and widely distributed."
Garland's testimony will address the implications of Trump's conviction and the Biden interview controversy, potentially influencing future political and legal battles. The discussion will cover his handling of Trump's case, the refusal to release Biden's interview audio, and AI's impact on audio files. Key topics include the Judiciary Chairman's proposal to defund Trump-related prosecutions, the DOJ's defense of withholding audio recordings, and Republicans' demands for transparency.
