Garland says he won’t rush Jan. 6 investigation

Attorney General Merrick Garland said he will not be rushing the investigation of the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol attack despite some criticism of the progress, or lack thereof, on the issue.

“The only pressure I feel, and the only pressure that our line prosecutors feel, is to do the right thing,” Garland said at a press conference Friday after he was questioned about the pressure the department is facing to work more quickly on the case.

“That means we follow the facts and the law, wherever they may lead,” he added. 

The Jan. 6 investigation is one of the largest probes in U.S. history, as hundreds have already been charged and the Department of Justice (DOJ) continues to find more individuals who participated in the attack on the Capitol. 

People familiar with the issue told The Washington Post the DOJ will be broadening the scope of its probe beyond the direct attack on the Capitol. 

The sources say the DOJ will be investigating the events leading up to the rally that preceded the Capitol attack and the conspiracy theories that contributed to it. 

Those who attacked the Capitol in 2021 falsely believed former President Trump won the 2020 presidential election and it was stolen from him. 

The DOJ will be looking into who was behind the rally and how people received the funds to travel to Washington, D.C.