Merrick Garland Addresses Criticism of DOJ’s Jan. 6 Probes, Prosecutions: ‘We Follow the Facts, Not an Agenda’

In his speech one day before the one-year anniversary of the Jan. 6 riot at the U.S. Capitol, Attorney General Merrick Garland addressed criticism of the Department of Justice’s probes and prosecutions related to that day: “We follow the facts, not an agenda.”

“The actions we have taken thus far will not be our last,” he said during a speech at the DOJ.

Garland gave an update on the DOJ’s activities investigating the events of Jan. 6 and holding accountable those allegedly involved. He also said the DOJ will take as long as necessary to do conduct investigations related to that day.

The DOJ so far has issued more than 5,000 subpoenas and search warrants, seized more than 2,000 devices, reviewed 20,000 hours of video, received more than 300,000 tips from ordinary citizens, and arrested and charged 725 defendants.

The Justice Department remains committed to holding all January 6 perpetrators at any level accountable under law whether they were present that day, or were otherwise criminally responsible for an assault on our democracy. We will follow the facts wherever they lead.

Because Jan. 6 was an unprecedented attack on the seat of our democracy, we understand that there is broad public interest in our investigation. We understand that there are questions about how long the investigation will take and about what exactly we are doing. Our answer is, and will continue to be, the same answer we could give to with respect to any ongoing investigation: As long as it takes, and whatever it takes for justice to be done consistent with the facts and the law.

Garland also sought to counter critics who’ve questioned the speed of the DOJ probes and prosecutions related to Jan. 6.

I understand that this may not be the answer some are looking for. But we will and we must speak through our work. Anything else jeopardizes the viability of our investigations and the civil liberties of our citizens.

Everyone in this room and on these screens is familiar with the way we conduct investigations and particularly complex investigations. We build investigations by laying a foundation. We resolve more straightforward cases first because they provide the evidentiary foundation for more complex cases. Investigating the more overt crimes, generates linkages to less overt ones. Overt actors and the evidence they provide could lead us to others who may also have been involved and that evidence can serve as the foundation for further investigative leads and techniques.

In circumstances like those of Jan. 6, a full accounting does not suddenly materialize. To ensure that all those criminally responsible are held accountable, we must check the evidence. We follow the physical evidence, we follow the digital evidence, we follow the money, but most important, we follow the facts. Not an agenda, or an assumption — the facts tell us where to go next.

Watch above, via MSNBC.