merrick garland – Gloomberg News

Garland names special counsel to oversee Trump documents case, aspects of Jan. 6 probe

20Nov

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Politics

Garland names special counsel to oversee Trump documents case, aspects of Jan. 6 probe

Attorney General Merrick Garland has named a special counsel to oversee the entirety of the Justice Department's criminal investigation into the retention of national defense information at former President Donald Trump's residence at Mar-a-Lago and key aspects of the Jan. 6 investigation."I'm here today to announce the appointment of the special counsel in connection with two ongoing criminal investigations that have received significant public attention," Garland said. Garland announced at a news conference Friday that John "Jack" Smith will be the special counsel tasked with investigating and deciding whether charges should be brought. He called Smith an "impartial and determined prosecutor." Smith is currently the chief prosecutor for the special counsel in the Hague. ...

Senate to probe claims of Justice Dept. political meddling under Trump

The Senate Judiciary Committee will investigate whether the Justice Department under then-President Donald Trump tried to use the Manhattan U.S. Attorney's office to go after Trump's political adversaries. Senator Dick Durbin, a Democrat who chairs the Judiciary Committee, called the allegations "astonishing" in a letter he sent to Attorney General Merrick Garland, asking the Justice Department to provide documents related to the allegations.The allegations stem from a new book written by Geoffrey Berman, who as U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York was the top federal prosecutor in Manhattan for half of Trump's presidency. He says in his book, "Holding the Line," that he was repeatedly pressured by Justice Department officials to use his office to aid the Trump admin...

Nebraska school board group cuts ties with national association | Politics

The board of directors for the Nebraska Association of School Boards voted unanimously Saturday to formally cut ties with a national organization that spurred controversy last year by calling for federal investigation into threats made against school board members.This decision comes less than a month after the Nebraska association's executive committee voted to recommend canceling its membership in the National School Boards Association, a federation of state associations that advocates and lobbies on public education issues.Saturday's decision adds Nebraska to a growing list of state school board associations that have distanced themselves or completely cut ties with the NSBA. In a text message, Nebraska association President Brad Wilkins confirmed that they will not pay...