Mr. Trump had declared that a woman who accused him of rape, the writer E. Jean Carroll, was lying to generate publicity. Mr. Garland set to work. Mr. Garland ultimately decided last month not to overturn the Trump-era decision — that because Mr. Trump made the comments in the capacity of his office, a Justice Department defense was proper — based largely on multiple precedents. But Mr. Garland saw it as the kind of impartial call that ensures that the same rules apply both to Democrats and to Republicans. And like many other former prosecutors, he viewed it as best to let the legal filing speak for itself.

Source: New York Times July 09, 2021 16:07 UTC