WATCH: Garland Says Questioning DOJ’s Integrity Is An ‘Attack’ On Democracy

During a press conference Friday, Attorney General Merrick Garland fielded questions from reporters surrounding concerns over his department’s integrity amid the Hunter Biden saga unfolding in Washington.

Yesterday, the testimony of two IRS whistleblowers was released by the House Ways and Means Committee, exposing explosive allegations levied against the Department of Justice and the Federal Bureau of Investigation.

Today, Garland was asked about the recent revelations and the concerns Americans have regarding DOJ’s integrity and its weaponization against conservatives.

Garland shrugged off those concerns as an “attack” on the DOJ and “democracy.”

“Some have chosen to attack the integrity of the Justice Department by claiming that we do not treat cases alike,” Garland said. “This constitutes an attack on an institution that is essential to American democracy… Nothing could be further from the truth.”

WATCH:

Garland: "Some have chose to attack the integrity of the Justice Department by claiming that we do not treat cases alike. This constitutes an attack on an institution that is essential to American democracy… Nothing could be further from the truth." pic.twitter.com/fHkHPUiNyn

— Greg Price (@greg_price11) June 23, 2023

The presser comes one day after explosive IRS whistleblower testimony shed light on a number of concerning alleged steps the department took in its efforts to “delay” the investigation of the president’s son.

Thursday, whistleblowers brought allegations of direct interference by the Biden Department of Justice (DOJ) in the criminal investigation into Hunter. The released testimony detailed persistent unjustified delays, a lack of transparency, and threats from the Defense Council aimed to “delay, divulge, and deny” the investigation.

A main issue was the DOJ’s reported refusal to examine a WhatsApp message between Hunter Biden and Chinese businessman Henry Zhao. Hunter Biden allegedly threatened that his father, Joe Biden, who was allegedly present at the time, would “destroy” Zhao if payments to the Bidens were not immediately made.

Representative Jason Smith (R-MO) cited that the U.S. Attorney of Delaware, David Weiss, was thwarted in his attempts to bring charges against Hunter Biden in 2022 and 2023. Whistleblowers were quoted as saying that the DOJ was “intervening and overstepping” in the investigation, despite a clear tax liability case on Hunter Biden’s payments.

Smith also disclosed that crucial information about the investigation was prematurely shared with Hunter’s attorneys. For instance, when there was probable cause to search a Northern Virginia storage unit containing Hunter Biden’s files, his attorneys were informed beforehand. The whistleblowers claimed that IRS investigators encountered substantial internal roadblocks in their investigation, despite an apparently clear case for tax liability on the payments. The testimony also alleges a lack of U.S. Attorney independence and unusual actions outside the standard course of any investigation.

Just last night, Garland and Hunter Biden rubbed elbows at an official White House state dinner held for Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit.