AG Garland Defends Biden’s Assertion of Executive Privilege Over Hur Interview

Garland: “Good morning I’m about to go to the FBI Memorial for Fallen Agents. I’d be happy take a few questions before we go — before I get going.”
UNKNOWN FEMALE: “David.”
Reporter 1: “Mr. Attorney General, in your professional capacity you suggested to the president to invoke executive privilege. He invoked executive privilege. It protects you both personally. Is that a conflict of interest?”
Garland: “Look, the Justice Department is a fundamental institution of our democracy. People depend on us to ensure that our investigations and our prosecutions are conducted according to the facts and the law and without political influence. We have gone to extraordinary lengths to ensure that the committees get responses to their legitimate requests. But this is not one. To the contrary, this is one that would harm our ability in the future to successfully pursue sensitive investigations. Now, there have been a series of unprecedented and, frankly, unfounded attacks on the Justice Department. This request, this effort to use contempt as an — as a method of obtaining our sensitive law enforcement files, is just the most recent the effort to threaten to defund our investigations and the way in which there are contributions to an atmosphere that puts our agents and our prosecutors at risk. These are wrong. Look, the only thing I can do is continue to do the right thing. I will protect this building, and its people.” [crosstalk]
Reporter 2: “You kind of answered this just now, but I was wondering like, you know what these — these combined with the efforts to defund Jack Smith and other attacks on Biden Administration officials say about, you know, the broader effort to discredit you and to discredit the Justice Department and also, how would you manage that? How are you resisting that? And what can you do about that as attorney general.”
Garland: “We have to go about our work following the federal principles of prosecution. They said we follow the facts and the law. We screen out outside inappropriate influences. That’s what we’re doing here. We’re protecting our ability to continue to do high profile and sensitive investigations. And — and we will continue to do that.” [crosstalk]
UNKNWON FEMALE: “Carry, last question.”
Reporter 3: “Mr. Attorney General, it now seems [indecipherable] now seen vanishingly small, that the two Jack Smith federal cases are going to begin trial, let alone finish trial this year. What does that say about the pace of the justice system and confidence in this Justice Department?”
Garland: “Look, the special counsel brought both cases last year. He appropriately requested speedy trials. The matter is now in the hands of the judiciary, and I’m — I’m not going to be able to comment any further on that.” [crosstalk]
UNKNOWN FEMALE: “Thank you everyone. We have to go at the FBI Memorial. Thank you everyone.”