General Discussion

...was what the celebrated Jan 6 committee focused the most on, looking for connections between the rioters and the Trump WH.

Indeed, one of the FIRST efforts Garland made was to look for ties between the rioters and Trump, directing the investigation of financial connections and communications between rioters and WH confidants like Roger Stone, as well as activities out of the Willard Hotel where Oath Keepers were know to be organizing their assault on the Capitol.

It made pefect sense for DOJ to investigate those ties, especially since the Trump supporting rioters arrested produced over a dozen willing to cooperate with DOJ.

Even though the report states that they didn't find the collusion they were looking for, it makes no sense to criticize them for looking.

Moreover, that certainly wasn't the only effort Garland's team made in the early days of his term. It's really specious to criticize the effort because he was not only doing the heavy lifting that produced over 1200 prosecutions of dangerous, often violent Trump supporters, but was also handling the investigation he ordered to reach all the way to the top of the Trump cabal at the very same time.

There wasn't so much as a slight pause in that effort when Smith was brought in to take it home, and no evidence was ignored or left uninvestigated, the vast majority of it already subpoenaed and resolved through appeals courts before Smith came aboard. The rest was defended in successive courts well after that appointment by Garland's DOJ.

Smith actually took tome to explain in his report that Merrick Garland had taken NO action to impede his investigation or prosecution.

In fact, Smith came aboard what was described at the time as a 'fast moving investigation, ' inheriting over 20 Garland prosecutors and more evidence than Mueller inherited at the time of his appointment.

receipts:


https://www.nytimes.com/2022/06/28/us/politics/trump-investigation-thomas-windom.html


https://www.cnn.com/2022/12/11/politics/jack-smith-special-counsel-high-profile-moves-trump-criminal-investigations/index.html



From Mike Pence to ‘fake’ electors, here’s who has testified to the January 6 grand jury or met with prosecutors
https://www.cnn.com/2023/07/11/politics/grand-jury-testimony-list-january-6-trump/index.html