Garland says U.S. will hold all involved in Capitol attack accountable

U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland on Wednesday vowed to hold accountable anyone who was involved in the deadly Capitol attack by former President Donald Trump's supporters in remarks made the day before the one-year anniversary of the violence https://www.reuters.com/world/us/democracy-under-siege-an-hour-by-hour-look-assault-us-capitol-2022-01-04.

U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland on Wednesday vowed to hold accountable anyone who was involved in the deadly Capitol attack by former President Donald Trump's supporters in remarks made the day before the one-year anniversary of the violence https://www.reuters.com/world/us/democracy-under-siege-an-hour-by-hour-look-assault-us-capitol-2022-01-04. The Justice Department, headed by Garland, has charged https://tmsnrt.rs/3HyfyEg more than 725 people with crimes arising from the riot ranging from disorderly conduct to assaulting police to conspiracy. Of those people, about 165 have pleaded guilty and at least 70 have been sentenced.

"The Justice Department remains committed to holding all January 6th perpetrators, at any level, accountable under law - whether they were present that day or were otherwise criminally responsible for the assault on our democracy," Garland said in prepared remarks released ahead of a scheduled speech. "We will follow the facts wherever they lead," added Garland, the top U.S. law enforcement official.

A mob of Trump supporters stormed the Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, in a failed bid to derail the formal congressional https://www.reuters.com/world/us/riot-shields-metal-detectors-are-reminder-deadly-us-capitol-assault-2022-01-05 certification of his 2020 election loss to President Joe Biden. High-profile criminal cases brought so far include several against members or associates of far-right groups such as the Proud Boys, the Oath Keepers and the Three Percenters.

A Democratic-led House of Representatives select committee separately is investigating the attack. Steve Bannon, Trump's former White House chief strategist, has been charged https://www.reuters.com/world/us/us-justice-department-indicts-bannon-not-complying-with-jan-6-subpoena-2021-11-12 with contempt of Congress for refusing to appear for a deposition and refusing to produce documents sought by the House committee. Garland has faced criticism from some Democrats who have said he has not been aggressive enough in the investigation.

"I think Merrick Garland has been extremely weak, and I think there should be a lot more of the organizers of Jan. 6 that should be arrested by now," Democratic U.S. congressman Ruben Gallego told CNN on Tuesday.