CNN’s Elie Honig Fact-Checks Chaotic GOP Grilling Of Merrick Garland Over Biden Probes

CNN Chief Legal Analyst Elie Honig took a stab at fact-checking the chaotic hearing at which congressional Republicans grilled Attorney General Merrick Garland over the investigations into President Joe Biden and his son Hunter Biden.

Garland testified at a hearing of the Republican-controlled House Judiciary Committee Wednesday entitled “Oversight of the U.S. Department of Justice” that began with a defiant statement from Garland and went on to be a contentious spectacle of grandstanding on a variety of topics — but particularly the Biden investigations.

Many exchanges were characterized by AG Garland refusing demands to get more granular on subjects by citing his promise to remain hands-off, and Republicans casting his reluctance as stonewalling.

On Wednesday morning’s edition of CNN This Morning, co-anchor Phil Mattingly asked Honig for his analysis. Honig told Mattingly that Garland “struggled” with the Hunter Biden questions, and also predicted a contempt of Congress showdown in Garland’s future:

PHIL MATTINGLY: The focus on Hunter Biden, the investigation and the indictment of Hunter Biden as well. What did we learn on that? Was there anything new that stood out to you?

ELIE HONIG: So Merrick Garland struggled with this. I think there was more questions than answers provided yesterday about the Hunter Biden prosecution.

The one thing Merrick Garland did stress is that the person running this case is David Weiss, who was a US attorney and has now become a special counsel. As Merrick Garland stressed several times, he was nominated by Donald Trump.

And Merrick Garland stressed that Merrick Garland, the attorney general, has not had direct involvement in this case. This has been the purview of David Weiss. Let’s take a quick listen to how Merrick Garland described that in his testimony.

AG MERRICK GARLAND: I have intentionally not involved myself in the facts of the case, not because I’m trying to get out of responsibility, but because I’m trying to pursue my responsibility.

ELIE HONIG: So Garland made clear this was not my decision. But there are certain questions, important questions that remain.

Why was David Weiss made special counsel five years into the investigation?

What necessitated that and why was DOJ willing to go into court about two months ago and take a plea to a misdemeanor for probation? That clearly has changed now.

Those questions linger. Jim Jordan will continue to press them.

PHIL MATTINGLY: All of this happening as the impeachment inquiry ramps up. First hearings expected to be next week. Was there anything in this hearing that kind of lays the groundwork for what Republicans may pursue?

ELIE HONIG: I think this was a preview of what we’re going to see next week. Speaker McCarthy, Jim Jordan, they’re going to have a lot of questions for DOJ. DOJ traditionally will not disclose evidence about ongoing cases. What they can do is issue a subpoena. DOJ is going to defy that. If DOJ supply defies that, watch for the House to try to hold DOJ, maybe the attorney general in contempt, but ultimately feel that’s a symbolic gesture because if there’s a contempt finding by Congress, guess where it goes for prosecution, right back here. They’re not going to prosecute their own attorney general.

PHIL MATTINGLY: Sounds very familiar to the last impeachment or certainly the first impeachment of former President Trump, where we saw this entire dynamic.

ELIE HONIG: Bill Barr was held in contempt, of course, not charged. Eric Holder was held in contempt, of course, not charged. We may see it again.

Watch above via CNN This Morning.

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