Biden Picks Merrick Garland for Attorney General

President-elect Joe Biden to name federal appeals court judge Merrick Garland as attorney general, the AP reports.

New York Times: “The choice of a judge is unusual and may reflect an effort by the president-elect to bring in an apolitical leader to bolster the Justice Department’s independence from politics.”

Politico: “In a Republican-controlled Senate, Doug Jones was viewed as the easiest candidate to get confirmed given his strong relationships across the aisle. Garland was also considered a risk in that it would be difficult to confirm a replacement for him on the appellate court. But with Democrats expected to have won the majority with a pair of upset victories in Georgia, confirmation issues with other candidates largely dissipated.”