The Department of Justice was intimidated into delaying investigations into the larger conspiracy allegations connected to the Jan. 6 insurrection attempt, and now MAGA Republicans are trying the same tactic now that the probe is finally ramping up, Vice reported.
Vice noted a recent Washington Post report, which found that the "DOJ avoided even investigating Trump and his lieutenants in the coup plot for over a year, even while public evidence mounted that Jan. 6 was not just a spontaneous riot, but the culmination of a planned coup."
The delay appears to track back to claims of bias, and how such an investigation might look, according to Vice.
"In those days of 2021 and early 2022, before dual Special Counsel investigations and grand juries, there was widespread worry that bad-faith claims of DOJ bias by the Trumpist GOP had cowed AG Merrick Garland into inaction. Now we know that’s exactly what happened!" according to the Friday report. "Read all about it. The Jan. 6 committee’s emerging evidence of criminal activity made the public ask, repeatedly, where was DOJ? Privately, the revelations embarrassed DOJ officials. "
Since it worked the first time, MAGA Republicans are reportedly trying the tactic again.
"Trumpist Republicans know their propaganda worked, at least for a while. It’s precisely why, now that the law is coming down on Trump, they’ve launched a full-on blitz against DOJ and any other agents of accountability in sight," the report states. "Censuring leaders of Trump’s impeachment? Check. Moving to actually expunge impeachment? Check. Pretending tax and gun violations by Hunter Biden deserve the exact same charges as mishandling dozens of national security secrets, obstruction and false statements? Sure. Pledging to impeach Joe Biden? Definitely, though for exactly what, no one knows. Attacks on Jack Smith and his family? You betcha. All this week."
Vice adds:
"The MAGA GOP are trying their hardest to further intimidate DOJ, or at least lay the political groundwork for corrupt pardons or interference later."
