Former White House chief of staff Ron Klain said Sunday he would like to see the Justice Department be more “aggressive” in protecting voting and abortion rights, comments that point to a behind-the-scenes division among some. of the presidents Joe BidenTop advisers and Attorney General Merrick Garland.
Klain made his comments on “Inside with Jen Psaki,” a msnbc show hosted by Biden’s former press secretary, a not-so-subtle indication that Klain’s sentiments are shared by others in Biden’s inner circle, even as the president has made it clear he wants to avoid directly influencing the Justice Department .
“I think Judge Garland believes very much in the integrity of the Department of Justice and the institutional norms there,” Klain told Psaki. “And I think at a time when many Americans, myself included, would like to see the Department of Justice become more aggressive in the courts, defending voting rights, defending reproductive rights, that more cautious and measured approach. seems not to be aggressive enough, given the threats facing our rights.”
Some senior Democrats have long privately viewed Garland as too cautious and apolitical to fight a right-wing judiciary and an increasingly authoritarian GOP, but have kept their criticisms quiet because of Biden’s desire to protect the integrity of the Department of Justice. Many had preferred former Sen. Doug Jones (D-Ala.) for the job when Biden first took his cabinet posts.
Asked by Psaki what steps Garland should take, Klain said the department should look for voter intimidation cases to prosecute, and should more aggressively target state laws limiting abortion travel.
“I think they should look for opportunities to go to court and make it clear that voter intimidation is wrong,” he said. “And that some of these efforts in these states to limit women’s rights to travel, to get information, to get the health care they need, are contrary to our laws and the broader principles of our Constitution.”
However, Klain declined to comment on the pace of the investigations into former President Donald Trump, which were under Garland’s control until the appointment of special counsel Jack Smith shortly after the November midterm elections.
Anthony Coley, Garland’s former top spokesman, responded to Klain on Twitter, calling his comments “a cheap shot that doesn’t jibe with the facts” and noting that the Justice Department successfully sued Idaho to block part of the state’s near-total ban on abortion.