Sen. Cruz: AG Merrick Garland Shows ‘Little Urgency’ In Protecting SCOTUS Justices

As leftist extremism over the Supreme Court’s decision to overturn Roe v. Wade continues, Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) has sent a letter to Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Dick Durbin (D-Ill) calling on him to bring Attorney General Merrick Garland before the committee to explain why the Justice Department isn’t enforcing a federal law banning protests outside the homes of Supreme Court justices.

“I am requesting [Attorney General Garland’s] attendance so he may detail the steps the Department of Justice is taking to protect our Supreme Court Justices in the wake of an unprecedented harassment and intimidation campaign,” Cruz wrote.

“18 U.S.C. § 1507 criminalizes any attempt to influence a judge in the exercise of his or her duties by picketing them at their home,” Cruz continued. “Congress passed this law to allow judges at every level of the judiciary the freedom to exercise their judicial power free from outside influence or intimidation. Article III of the Constitution guarantees judicial independence by granting judges life tenure and salary protection so they are not influenced by anything but the law and facts in the case before them.  Unfortunately, despite clear evidence that federal law was violated by mobs of protestors at the Justices’ homes, the head of the Department of Justice, and chief law enforcement officer of the United States, flatly refused to enforce federal law.”

Cruz then addressed the pro-abortion protests outside of Supreme Court justices’ homes and brought up the assassination attempt on Justice Kavanaugh by an individual who was allegedly inspired by the leak of the majority opinion draft from the Supreme Court intending to overturn Roe v. Wade.

“On June 8, 2022, a would-be assassin, armed with a pistol and a knife, was arrested outside the home of Justice Brett Kavanaugh.  He later admitted he intended to kill the Justice,” Cruz wrote. “Intimidation attempts have also occurred at the homes of Justice Alito, Justice Thomas, Justice Barrett and Chief Justice Roberts. In response to these threats, Attorney General Garland merely stated, ‘The Justice Department will not tolerate violence or threats of violence against judges or any other public servants at work, home, or any other location.’   Attorney General Garland’s refusal to act, however, calls into question the sincerity of this statement.”

“Attorney General Garland was quick to condemn parents who attended school board meetings to protest radical policies pushed by some board members,” Cruz concluded. “Yet he has shown little urgency to protect Supreme Court Justices despite calls from the Supreme Court Marshal and multiple governors to do so. Attorney General Garland should be asked, under oath, why he refused to act in this instance, as well as detail his plans to uphold judicial independence and the rule of law in the face of future such intimidation campaigns.”