U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland is planning to speak Wednesday about the Justice Department’s efforts to investigate and prosecute those involved in the U.S. Capitol riot a year ago.
Scheduled for 2:30 p.m. EST (1930 Universal Time), Garland’s remarks to the Department of Justice workforce will come the day before the anniversary of the disturbance in which more than 2,000 supporters of then-President Donald Trump stormed the Capitol building to protest the presidential election.
Garland “will also reaffirm the department’s unwavering commitment to defend Americans and American democracy from violence and threats of violence,” according to a statement released by the department.
A Justice official, speaking on the condition of anonymity Monday because the speech had not yet been officially announced, said Garland would not speak about specific people or charges, The Washington Post reported.
The Democrat-controlled House is also investigating the events of January 6 and has subpoenaed several members of the Trump administration, along with dozens of other people and extremist organizations.
On January 6, 2021, at a rally near the White House before the rioting unfolded, Trump urged supporters to “fight like hell” at the Capitol to allegedly keep lawmakers from certifying that Democrat Joe Biden had defeated him in the November 2020 election. Since the riot, more than 725 participants have been arrested and charged with an array of offenses, from minor ones such as trespassing to more serious crimes such as attacking police.
After the Capitol had been cleared of protesters, Congress certified Biden’s election victory in the early hours of January 7.
