Judge Merrick Garland a Strong Choice as Attorney General

Washington, DC — Giffords, the gun-violence-prevention organization co-founded by former Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords, supports President-elect Joe Biden’s decision to select Judge Merrick Garland as United States Attorney General. Throughout his nearly twenty-four years of service on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit, Judge Garland demonstrated his respect for the rule of law through fair-minded decisions that respect the rights and safety of all Americans.  And during his previous tenure at DOJ, leading the Oklahoma City bombing prosecution and other domestic terrorism cases, Garland demonstrated a keen understanding of the threats that extremists motivated by insurrectionist ideology posed then and now.

President-elect Biden also announced the appointments of Lisa Monaco for Deputy Attorney General, Vanita Gupta for Associate Attorney General, and Kristen Clarke for Assistant Attorney General for the Civil Rights Division, all of whom Giffords strongly supports. 

Statement from Peter Ambler, Giffords Executive Director:

“Merrick Garland is the principled leader we need to return independence and integrity to the Department of Justice. There is a lot of work to be done after four years of the Department of Justice leadership improperly aligning itself with President Trump’s agenda, rather than pursuing justice for the American people. Judge Garland’s judicial record shows that as Attorney General, he will lead with decency and the courage to do what is right rather than what is politically convenient. We are proud to stand with him in the fight to combat violent extremism, protect Americans’ rights, and implement policies to reduce gun violence.”