Neera Tanden, who was an adviser to former President Joe Biden, pointed the finger at Merrick Garland for the Justice Department's failure to act on Jeffrey Epstein's files, claiming the former attorney general was "hypersensitive" and unwilling to pursue the case aggressively, the New York Post reported.
Tanden, the former director of the White House Domestic Policy Council, criticized Garland for his refusal to pursue deeper investigations into files related to Epstein's sex trafficking network.
Speaking on "The Bulwark Podcast" on Wednesday, Tanden was pressed by host Tim Miller on why the Biden administration failed to act on the Epstein files.
"Anytime I say anything about Epstein, they're like, 'Why didn't Joe Biden's — why didn't Joe Biden release the files?' And this is what I say: Have you met Merrick Garland?" Tanden said.
Tanden said the Biden White House maintained a hands-off approach with the Justice Department, claiming the administration made no enforcement decisions regarding the case.
"[T]he Joe Biden White House had nothing to do with enforcement on any topic," she said. "Because of the abuses of the Trump administration, the White House didn't engage in any particular enforcement matter."
She added that the administration "barely did engage on policy with the Department of Justice," describing the department as "so arms-length to us."
According to Tanden, the Biden team had "no idea" what Garland was doing, if anything, concerning the Epstein files. She speculated that Garland's refusal to act may have stemmed from an overwhelming desire to avoid being seen as politically biased.
"I can't really tell you why Merrick Garland didn't do it. I would say that he was hypersensitive about any perceptions of unfairness to a point where I think, you know, I'm not sure justice was always even done," she said.
Tanden suggested Garland was reluctant to take further action due to criticism over his handling of the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol riot prosecutions.
"And I can imagine he thought, you know, after he's doing [Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol riot cases] and all the conservative blowback on that — maybe he wouldn't even look into Ghislaine Maxwell — but someone should ask him," she said. "I wish he had looked into it."
Tanden's comments came the same day a House Oversight subcommittee voted to subpoena Garland, former President Bill Clinton, former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, and several former Justice Department officials. The subpoenas are tied to a congressional investigation into Maxwell, Epstein's associate, who was convicted in 2022 on sex trafficking conspiracy charges.
Earlier this month, the Department of Justice and the FBI announced they found no new information in the Epstein files warranting criminal charges against additional third parties.
The decision has rankled supporters of President Donald Trump, who have long demanded full transparency and accountability in the Epstein matter.
Jim Thomas ✉
Jim Thomas is a writer based in Indiana. He holds a bachelor's degree in Political Science, a law degree from U.I.C. Law School, and has practiced law for more than 20 years.
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