Dan Abrams Calls Out GOP Whining About ‘Politicization’ of DOJ When More Democrats Targeted Than Republicans

NewsNation host and Mediaite founder and owner Dan Abrams took aim at ongoing Republican claims about a “weaponized” Department of Justice on Dan Abrams Live Tuesday evening, arguing that these accusations are not supported by the facts.

The topic came up in connection with President-elect Donald Trump’s nomination of former Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-FL) as Attorney General — a choice that raised eyebrows even amidst all the breaking news this month about Trump’s other controversial nominees.

Gaetz practiced law for only a short period of time, and has no prosecutorial or judicial experience. The firebrand from Florida’s deep-red Panhandle has also burned many a bridge during his tenure in the House — especially after he instigated a plot that ousted former Rep. Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) from the speakership last year.

And then there is Gaetz’s reported entanglement in a sprawling series of schemes and crimes that led to a House Ethics Committee investigation on allegations that he “engaged in sexual misconduct and illicit drug use, accepted improper gifts, dispensed special privileges and favors to individuals with whom he had a personal relationship, and sought to obstruct government investigations of his conduct.” Gaetz, who has denied all wrongdoing, resigned from his House seat last week, and debate has been swirling over a House Ethics report on the matter.

Republican senators might be “divided” on confirming Gaetz, said Abrams, but did seem to be mostly “unified” about the “supposed politicization of the DOJ” under the current officeholder, Attorney General Merrick Garland.

“But does the evidence really back that up?” asked Abrams. “Meaning, does it hold up under scrutiny?”

He then played several clips of GOP senators asserting such claims about the need for reform at the DOJ.

“All right. Let’s talk some facts,” said Abrams.

He then reported about how under the Biden administration, the DOJ had investigated or indicted 11 major Republicans and 12 major Democrats — a fairly even number.

“Almost every politician who’s under investigation seems to claim that corrupt law enforcement officials are behind it,” said Abrams, noting that was an argument tried by former Sen. Bob Menendez (D-NJ) before his conviction in a political corruption case, New York City Mayor Eric Adams, and many others in a long list of Democrats he rattled off.

“And of course then there’s Hunter Biden,” said Abrams, asking his audience to ponder if “Donald Trump’s DOJ” would have ever allowed such charges to go forward against one of his sons for offenses that might have been crimes, but the gun paperwork charge had never been brought before and the tax charge was one that is usually handled with a fine.

While “beleaguered Democrats” tend to claim they are being targeted for some reason, Abrams continued, Republicans facing DOJ scrutiny usually offered a broader argument about a “two-tiered weaponized justice system” — “The Biden DOJ is corrupt and trying to take Republicans out!”

But to make this argument, Abrams pointed out, Republicans had to “ignore all the major Democrats across the country targeted by the DOJ.”

Still, this had been a “constant refrain” from Republicans after the FBI raid on Trump’s residence at Mar-a-Lago and federal charges against the former president. “But it also ignores key facts,” said Abrams, arguing that the charges against Trump took a long time to bring, and Garland had blocked them until Trump lied to the feds about the documents. At that point, Garland appointed a special prosecutor — as well as one to look into Joe Biden’s own document issues.

The convictions of Trump allies Stephen Bannon and Peter Navarro for contempt of Congress followed this pattern, with both men complaining they were victims of a DOJ weaponized against Trump and Republicans.

“Navarro and Bannon can cry fowl over their convictions, but it ignores the reality,” said Abrams, that the DOJ declined to prosecute two other Trump aides whom the Jan 6th House Select Committee wanted prosecuted for their own refusal to testify, Mark Meadows and Dan Scavino, because they still engaged with the committee and offered objections to their subpoenas.

If Bannon and Navarro “had just minimally cooperated,” argued Abrams, “it sure seems they never would have been charged.”

It was is “a particularly bizarre claim” for Republicans to say the FBI is politically weaponized, he continued, because the FBI has “never in its history had a Democrat director, ever,” cuing up a clip of “lifelong Republican” and current FBI Director Christopher Wray pushing back hard on such allegations.

These “weaponized DOJ” claims, Abrams concluded, were politicians putting their own interests before the country’s. “The legal system has evidence against you, so you try to burn it all down.”

“And claiming that someone like Matt Gaetz is needed to end politicization of the DOJ seems like the ultimate in hypocrisy,” said Abrams. “After all, there is a lot of evidence, that we now know of, to suggest that Matt Gaetz trafficked the 17-year-old girl — from the woman herself, to her friend, to his close friend, and others — and yet, this DOJ decided not to charge him!”

“And rather than show, I don’t know, some appreciation, or even relief, for their deference, somehow this is being used as a cudgel?” he continued, noting that the DOJ was in a position with Republicans where they couldn’t win, regardless of why they decided not to pursue the case.

“If there is nothing there, then certainly Republicans should encourage the release of the Republican-led House Ethics report to clear the air,” Abrams declared.

Watch the video clips above, via NewsNation.