Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-FL) engaged in a heated exchange with Attorney General Merrick Garland during a House Judiciary Committee hearing on Tuesday. Gaetz questioned Garland on various issues, including the alleged coordination between the DOJ and state attorneys prosecuting former President Donald Trump.

Gaetz criticized Garland’s characterization of claims about DOJ coordination as “dangerous conspiracy theories.” He argued that if there were no improper communications, there should be no issue with producing related records. Gaetz also challenged Garland on judicial propriety, asking if he had ever made political donations or had family members profiting from cases he handled as a judge.

Garland denied these accusations but struggled to address Gaetz’s persistent questioning about Judge Merchan’s daughter’s alleged profits from a prosecution involving Trump. Gaetz emphasized the importance of a non-biased judiciary free from conflicts of interest.

Turning to Matthew Colangelo, Gaetz inquired about his career trajectory from the DOJ to Alvin Bragg’s office. Garland denied any involvement in Colangelo’s career moves, maintaining that it was a personal decision.

“You had no problem dispatching Matthew Colangelo. Who’s Matthew Colangelo?” Gaetz asked. Garland responded, “That is false. I did not dispatch Matthew Colangelo. That’s false.”

Gaetz continued, “Matthew Colangelo…became the Assistant Attorney General at the very beginning of the Biden administration. Without having been Senate-confirmed, goes and gets this senior role at the DOJ. And then after, I believe it’s Gupta, replaces Colangelo, Colangelo makes this remarkable downstream career journey from the U.S. Department of Justice in Washington, D.C., and then pops up in Alvin Bragg’s office to go get Trump. And you’re saying that’s just a career choice that was made. That has nothing to do with the lawfare coordinated by the — ”

“I can tell you I had nothing to do with it,” Garland interjected.

Gaetz referenced a book by Mark Pomerantz, which describes assembling legal experts to prosecute Trump, suggesting a coordinated effort. “The lawfare we’ve seen against President Trump will do great damage well beyond our time in public service,” Gaetz concluded.

Garland’s responses throughout the hearing were criticized for being evasive, leaving many questions unanswered regarding the DOJ’s impartiality and integrity in handling high-profile cases.