Why Is Merrick Garland’s DOJ Carrying Water for Bill Barr?

Last night, the Washington Post reported that Manhattan District Attorney Cyrus Vance empaneled a grand jury in his ongoing criminal investigation of the Trump Organization. It’s a huge step. There is now a real possibility that Trump, his family, or high-ranking officials in his organization will be indicted for financial crimes.

But the DA’s work (and the work of New York Attorney General Letitia James, whose investigation into the Trump Organization has recently taken on a criminal focus) is mainly a clean-up job. They’re looking into Trump’s business crimes, and much of that alleged misconduct is stuff that could have been prosecuted years before he became President.