Garland defends DOJ memo despite NSBA letter being withdrawn

Attorney General Merrick Garland launched a staunch defense of his controversial Justice Department memo on school boards, arguing the National School Boards Association’s decision to withdraw its letter likening parent protesters to domestic terrorists didn’t change the merits of his memo — despite his reliance on the NSBA letter’s concerns in penning it.

Garland revealed last week that the DOJ and the White House communicated about the late September NSBA letter before Garland issued his early October memo , and emails from the NSBA showed it was in touch with the White House about its letter prior to publishing. Internal emails showed NSBA board members objected to sending the letter to President Joe Biden , and the NSBA ended up withdrawing the letter the day after Garland’s testimony before the House Judiciary Committee last Thursday.