Former Trump adviser Kash Patel asserted that the House of Representatives has the authority to arrest Attorney General Merrick Garland and detain him until he complies with a congressional subpoena.
“Merrick Garland said, ‘No, I’m not going to comply [with the subpoena]. I’m going to break the law,’” Patel told Just The News on Tuesday. “Then Congress under that authority granted to them by statute can have the sergeant at arms go and arrest Merrick Garland, and can hold him in detention until he complies, just like DOJ would do to anyone else who violates a subpoena.”
Patel is a former government official recognized for his roles in the Trump administration. Notably, he worked as a staffer on the House Intelligence Committee under then-Chairman Devin Nunes. During his tenure, Patel was instrumental in investigating alleged abuses by the FBI and Department of Justice related to the Russia probe.
He also held positions as a senior official in the National Security Council and as chief of staff to Acting Secretary of Defense Christopher Miller in the last months of the Trump administration. Known for his vocal stance on intelligence and national security, Patel has become a well-recognized figure in conservative circles.
Last week, the House of Representatives approved a resolution to charge Attorney General Merrick Garland with criminal contempt of Congress for not complying with a subpoena. This action, led by Jim Jordan (R-OH) and James Comer (R-KY), stems from the Justice Department’s refusal to release audio tapes related to Joe Biden’s handling of classified documents. Republicans argue that this non-compliance justifies the contempt charge.
Florida Representative Anna Paulina Luna stated on Fox News during an interview with host Maria Bartiromo last week that lawmakers are considering additional measures to hold U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland accountable after the Department of Justice (DOJ) declined to prosecute him for withholding President Biden’s audiotapes and for being held in contempt of Congress.
Luna appeared on “Sunday Morning Futures” to discuss the recent congressional resolution to hold Attorney General Garland in contempt for not releasing audiotapes from special counsel Robert Hur’s interview with President Joe Biden, which pertained to alleged mishandling of classified documents. Host Maria Bartiromo asked about the next steps Congress might take. GOP House Speaker Mike Johnson has expressed intentions to take the matter to the federal courts after the DOJ decided not to prosecute.
“Yeah, so actually, several months ago, I introduced a resolution for something called ‘inherent contempt of Congress.’ This is something that Congress has the authority to do, and it hasn’t been done since the early 1900s,” Luna explained. “Essentially what that does is — I anticipated that the Department of Justice would not do their job, so I had this teed up and ready to go.” (see video below)
“I brought this to Speaker Johnson’s attention, and what that allows Congress to do is really be the punitive arm and really hold Garland accountable by using the sergeant-at-arms to essentially go and get him as well as the tapes, bring them to the well of the House and really be a check and balance on the Department of Justice,” Luna went on.
“Again, this hasn’t been done since the early 1900s, but that vote will be coming to the floor, and hopefully, we will be able to bring some accountability. I know that if this goes to [the] courts, as Johnson has stated, that’s really going to get stuck there. It’s not going to do anything,” she continued. “The American people deserve more than strongly worded letters; I think we’re all frustrated, and so again, we’re hoping to bring that accountability.”
WATCH:
We need more GOP lawmakers like Rep. Paulina Luna. She has found a way the House can go after AG Garland after his DOJ refuses to act on the contempt of Congress referral – like it did against Trump advisers Bannon and Navarro. pic.twitter.com/4szTcLuxXz
— USA Features Media (@UsaFeatures) June 17, 2024
