Justice Dept. Will Toughen Rules for Seizing Lawmakersâ Data, Garland Says Attorney General Merrick B. Garland met with news media executives amid fallout over prosecutorsâ seizures of records from phone and tech companies for leak inquiries. Attorney General Merrick B. Garland has said that a new Justice Department policy on leak investigations would be âthe most protective of journalistsâ ability to do their jobs in history.âCredit...Tom Brenner for The New York Times June 14, 2021 WASHINGTON â The Justice Department will tighten its rules for when law enforcement officials may seize information about members of Congress and their aides, Attorney General Merrick B. Garland said on Monday amid a backlash to the disclosure of a 2018 subpoena that swept in data from the Apple accounts of Democratic lawmakers and staff.