Biden to Nominate Merrick Garland for AG

DC Federal Appeals Court Judge and former Obama Supreme Court nominee Merrick Garland is reportedly Joe Biden’s pick for attorney general:

President-elect Joe Biden plans to nominate Merrick B. Garland, a Democratic casualty of the bitter partisan divide in Washington over court nominees, to become the next attorney general, according to people familiar with the decision.

Garland, 68, serves as a judge on the federal appeals court in the District. He is best known for being nominated to the Supreme Court in 2016 by President Barack Obama – but Senate Republicans refused to give him a hearing, and the high court opening was eventually filled the following year by President Trump’s choice, Neil M. Gorsuch.

Biden’s transition team did not immediately respond to a request for comment. The intended nomination was first reported Wednesday by Politico.

Many Democrats still think of Garland as a living example of Republican double-standards when it comes to the courts and the law.

To many legal observers, he seems an ideal candidate to restore the Justice Department’s independence and credibility which was eroded under president Trump. He enjoys a reputation as a unifying, moderating force on the appeals court, and has previous experience in the Justice Department.