Biden introduces Merrick Garland as attorney general pick
Attorney General nominee Merrick Garland speaks during an event with President-elect Joe Biden and Vice President-elect Kamala Harris at The Queen theater in Wilmington, Del., Thursday, Jan. 7, 2021. If confirmed by the Senate, which is likely, Garland would take over as the U.S. attorney general at a critical moment for the country and the agency. His confirmation prospects as attorney general were all but ensured when Democrats scored control of the Senate majority by winning both Georgia Senate seats. Biden also introduced three others for senior Justice Department leadership posts on Thursday, including Obama administration homeland security adviser Lisa Monaco as deputy attorney general and former Justice Department civil rights chief Vanita Gupta as associate attorney general, the No. Garland was selected over other finalists including former Sen. Doug Jones, D-Ala., and former Deputy Attorney General Sally Yates.
Giuliani urged Tillerson in Oval Office meeting to help client
During the White House meeting, the president invited Giuliani and Michael Mukasey, the former attorney general, to make their pitch to Tillerson, the source says. After the meeting Tillerson mentioned the discussion to then-chief of staff John Kelly, who was not in the meeting, noting that it was a deal he could not support. And news of it comes as his relationships to both Giuliani and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoan come under scrutiny. Trump told Tillerson and Giuliani to see if they could work out an arrangement. Giuliani pursued the possible deal directly with Tillerson after the Oval Office meeting and was rebuffed, the source said.