STORM ATTORNEY GENERAL MERRICK GARLAND IS CONDEMNING WHAT HE SAYS IS AN EXCULPATION OF ATTACKS ON JUSTICE DEPARTMENT EMPLOYEES. GARLAND DEFENDED THE DOJ DURING REMARKS THAT HE MADE THIS MORNING. HIS COMMENTS, AS WE APPROACH NOVEMBER'S PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION AND PREPARE TO MARK FOUR YEARS SINCE THE JANUARY 6th ASSAULT ON THE U.S. CAPITAL >> THESE ATTACKS HAVE COME IN THE FORM OF CONSPIRACY THEORIES , DANGEROUS FALSEHOODS, EFFORTS TO BULLY AND INTIMIDATE CAREER PUBLIC SERVANTS BY REPEATEDLY AND PUBLICLY SINGLING THEM OUT AND THREATS OF ACTUAL VIOLENCE. 'S PAYMENT CONGRESSIONAL CORRESPONDENT SCOTT McFARLAND HAS BEEN MONITORING THIS FOR US AS WELL. SCOTT, IT WAS INTERESTING HOW THE ATTORNEY GENERAL SEEMED TO TAKE THIS VERY PERSONALLY, GETTING EMOTIONAL AT ONE POINT. TALK TO OUR VIEWERS ABOUT WHAT THE ATTORNEY GENERAL HAD TO SAY ABOUT THE SECURITY ISSUES THAT FEDERAL EMPLOYEES HAVE BEEN FACING? >> Reporter: LANA, IT WAS QUITE A CHOICE FOR HIM TO DO THIS IN A PUBLIC SETTING AND GIVE PUBLIC REMARKS TO AN INTERNAL MEETING OF HIS WORKFORCE AND OTHER U.S. JUSTICE APARTMENT OFFICIALS, FEDERAL PROSECUTORS AND FEDERAL AGENTS. HE SAID IN SO MANY WORDS THAT THEY ARE UNACCEPTABLY BEING VULNERABLE TO THREATS, TO RISK OF ATTACK, TO MENACING, JUST FOR DOING THEIR JOBS. HE SAID THAT HAS BEEN RATCHETING UP. HE ACKNOWLEDGES IT AND THAT HIS WORKFORCE SHOULD BE CREDITED FOR PERSEVERING THROUGH IT. IT'S QUITE A STATEMENT ABOUT WHERE WE ARE, HEADING INTO A POLITICALLY TOXIC ELECTION, COMING OUT OF MONTHS OF MENACING BEHAVIOR. SOME OF IT TARGETING FEDERAL OFFICIALS AND SO MUCH OF IT, THE ATTORNEY GENERAL SAID, GENERATED BY CONSPIRACY THEORIES, BASELESS CLAIMS THAT CIRCULATE ON SOCIAL MEDIA AND HAVE SATURATED THE POLITICAL DIALOGUE TOO. THIS IS A MESSAGE TO KIND OF BUCK UP SPIRITS OF HIS EMPLOYEES, BUT ALSO TO MAKE IT CLEAR, HE ACKNOWLEDGES THE RISK . HE'LL ENSURE THEY ARE PROTECTED AND THAT THEY HAVE TO KEEP DOING THEIR JOBS IN THE MEANTIME. LET'S ALSO TALK ABOUT SOME NEW CONCERNS, SCOTT, THE U.S. POSTAL SERVICE MIGHT NOT BE ABLE TO DELIVER COMPLETED MAIL- IN BALLOTS BEFORE ELECTION DAY DEADLINES FOR ALL OF THIS GOING INTO QUESTIONS ABOUT OUR DEMOCRACY AND OR INSTITUTIONS. TALK TO US ABOUT WHAT YOU HAVE LEARNED AND HOW LAWMAKERS THERE ON THE HILL ARE RESPONDING. >> Reporter: SPEAKING WITH OUR SOURCES HERE ON THE HILL AND CONGRESS ARE READING THE WORDS FROM STATE ELECTIONS AND MINISTERS OF BOTH PARTIES, YOU GET THE SENSE THIS IS NOT A FIVE ALARM FIRE, BUT A FIRE ALARM THAT'S GOING OFF TO WARN YOU OF THE POTENTIAL OF SMOKE TURNING INTO FIRE. THEY'RE SAYING THERE ARE CONCERNS ABOUT THE AMOUNT OF TRAINING OF U.S. POSTAL SERVICE STAFF. THE STAFFING LEVELS THEMSELVES AND THEIR ON-TIME DELIVERY PERFORMANCE IN RECENT ELECTIONS . A CONCERN THAT THERE COULD BE SOME DELAYED BALLOTS IN THIS ELECTION. ARE TREND REPORTING FOUND IN THE 2022 MIDTERMS, MORE THAN 105 MILLION BALLOTS WERE SENT IN THAT WAY VIA THE MAIL. THERE'S CONCERN THAT WITH THE TONNAGE THAT'S COMING THIS WAY IN 2024, THE POSTAL SERVICE MAY NOT BE FULLY PROTECTED AND FULLY PREPARED TO ENSURE THEY ARE ALL DELIVERED ON TIME. THERE ARE CONCERNS IN 2020 OF DELAYED BALLOTS BECAUSE OF COBRA, THE REMOVAL OF SOME EQUIPMENT, ALLEGATIONS OF POLITICAL INTERFERENCE, BUT THE DELIVERY WAS DONE QUITE WELL IN 2020 ACCORDING TO GROUP RATIONAL SERVICES WITH WHOM WE ARE SPEAKING. THESE ALERTS ARE KIND OF THE EQUIVALENT OF TELLING KIDS TO GET THOSE GRADES UP BEFORE THE END OF THE MARKING. , IF YOU DON'T WANT TO GET A C OR D ON