By: Donald V. Watkins
Copyrighted and Published on May 26, 2023
An Editorial Opinion
I have seen my share of weak, incompetent, and useless U.S. Attorneys General since I graduated from law school in 1973. None of them has been as useless as Merrick Garland.
What is more, Merrick Garland always seems to be “missing in action” when his presence is needed the most.
Garland Tolerates a Culture of Open Lawlessness
Forget about "open borders" at the U.S.-Mexican border. That public safety threat pales in comparison to the culture of open lawlessness that Merrick Garland and his fellow eunuchs at the Department of Justice have allowed big Wall Street banks and corporations to enjoy in a carefree manner. These banks and corporations are today's "untouchables," and they know it.
These Wall Street companies also operate as financial predators who gouge ordinary Americans every chance they get -- simply because they can. Under Merrick Garland's so-called “leadership,” no one is policing their conduct.
Privately, the CEOs who head big publicly traded companies like the Atlanta-based Southern Company view Merrick Garland and his law enforcement team at the Department of Justice as a bunch of “punks.” While sipping bourbon and smoking Cuban cigars at private dinners, these CEOs laugh as they brag about the chokehold they have on Merrick Garland and his Department of Justice.
Today, the best opportunity for a career-minded criminal is to embed himself/herself as the chief executive officer of a New York Stock Exchange/Fortune 500 company. From this corporate perch, a crooked CEO can direct subordinates to bribe: (a) elected and appointed public officials (with private jet rides, campaign contributions, and consulting jobs for their wives/mistresses/lovers), (b) state and federal judges (with free hunting trips, private jet rides, and luxury vacations), and (c) state and federal regulators (with complimentary skybox tickets to sporting events/concerts and prepaid gift cards for their wives and college-age children) -- all with impunity and without any fear of a federal criminal prosecution.
Occasionally, a powerful billionaire can bribe a U.S. Supreme Court justice with millions of dollars in undeclared and unreported “gifts” and “love offerings,” without worrying about any federal criminal investigation or prosecution.
Wall Street banks enjoy the freedom to go on nationwide, decades-long crime sprees, without any fear of a federal criminal prosecution. Wells Fargo Bank is the “poster boy” for financial crimes without criminal consequences. Its brazen crime sprees since 2000 inspired Silicon Valley Bank, First Republic Bank, and other publicly traded banks to follow suit.
What is more, the ingratiating look on Garland’s face in the feature photo accompanying this article tells us that Hunter Biden has nothing to worry about at Garland's Department of Justice, despite the growing evidence of criminal conspiracy, wire fraud, and tax evasion offenses committed by First Son Hunter Biden and those who acted in concert with him.
Why Merrick Garland's Weakness as Attorney General Matters
Merrick Garland is totally useless as a federal law enforcement official. He uses a laid-back public persona and somber look at press conferences to mask his impotence and incompetence in the job. This manufactured persona is intended to portray Garland as a mature, seasoned, and experience prosecutor.
This fake persona is not working.
Today, there is a non-stop frontal attack on the constitutional and civil rights of Americans of color, women, the elderly, children, and LGBTQIA Americans by MAGA politicians across the nation. These politicians have sized up Merrick Garland as an extremely weak man and inept Attorney General.
Even though I am NOT a MAGA supporter, I totally agree with this assessment.
In my opinion, Merrick Garland was never fit to serve as the nation's top criminal prosecutor or the chief protector and defender of the constitutional and civil rights of the Americans who are most at-risk in this country.
Personally, I would never rely on Merrick Garland to defend my basic constitutional and civil rights in any courtroom. Neither should you.
Getting Rid of Merrick Garland
One thing is clear to me at this juncture: We cannot get rid of Merrick Garland unless we get rid of Joe Biden. Both men are perennial weaklings who appear to be joined at the hip.
In the interest of full disclosure: I have never been a Joe Biden fan.
Thirty-one years ago, Joe Biden had a chance to kill Clarence Thomas’ nomination as a Supreme Court justice, but he did not have the “balls” to do so. Biden’s failure of leadership as Chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee 31 years ago has caused tens of millions of Americans of color, women, the elderly, children, and LGBTQIA Americans to lose their constitutional and civil rights in cases where Thomas’ vote on the Supreme Court made the difference.
We all know by now that Clarence Thomas is a "run-of-the-mill crook" who has engaged in a "pay-to-play" scheme for 27 years on the Supreme Court bench. Yet, Merrick Garland has NOT opened a criminal investigation into Thomas' vote-selling and tax evasion conduct.
I have zero confidence in Merrick Garland as Attorney General of the United States. We cannot expect a man with no backbone to stand up and fight for the rights of the most vulnerable groups of Americans.
Merrick Garland has failed himself, and he has failed America. He needs to resign, now!