Garland was questioned about alleged DOJ interactions with state and local prosecutors, specifically Manhattan DA Alvin Bragg and others involved in prosecuting Trump. "Mr. Attorney General, you've told us that it's a dangerous conspiracy theory to allege that the Department of Justice is communicating with these state and local prosecutions against Trump," Gaetz told Garland.
Gaetz pressed for the release of documents that would potentially reveal communications between the DOJ and Trump's prosecutors, telling Garland, "You can clear it all up for us right now. Will the Department of Justice provide to the committee all documents, all correspondence between the department and Alvin Bragg's office, Fani Willis' office and Letitia James' office?" Garland resisted, stating such requests would be processed in due course through official channels.
Republicans argued that this refusal to immediately provide transparency supported the notion of a coordinated attack on Trump. They cited various connections, such as former DOJ official Matthew Colangelo's transition to Bragg's team, as further evidence of partisan influence over what should be independent prosecutorial decisions.
Garland defended the integrity of his department, asserting that the DOJ operates free from political interference. However, this did little to assuage GOP concerns, who pointed to other perceived conflicts, such as small donations made by Manhattan Judge Juan Merchan to Biden's campaign, as undermining the credibility of the judicial proceedings against Trump.