Sen. Cory Booker (D-NJ) on Wednesday delivered an impassioned defense of Attorney General Merrick Garland, who spent much of the afternoon beating back claims from Republican senators who said his Department of Justice was persecuting conservative parents.
During the hearing, Garland defended his decision to have the DOJ investigate violent threats made against school board members, even as Sens. Ted Cruz (R-TX), Tom Cotton (R-AK), and Marsha Blackburn (R-TN) all took turns accusing him of unleashing the FBI against innocent parents.
Booker, however, brought receipts with him and started reading them off.
“In Texas, a parent physically assaulted a teacher,” he began. “In Pennsylvania, a person posted threats on social media which required police to station outside of a school district… I can keep going: Ohio, a school board member was threatening a letter with, ‘We are coming for you.'”
Booker then read Garland’s original letter in which he specified that he was only investigating violent threats made against school officials, and not angry remarks made during school board meetings.
“If someone was to read the actual letter, you are literally saying as the leader of the highest law enforcement in the land, that you protect spirited debate!” Booker said.
Watch the video below.