Invitation to Bill Barr & Merrick Garland to come to AL to discuss lawfare

From: Rob Shattuck <rdshatt@aol.com>
To: merrick.garland@arnoldporter.com <merrick.garland@arnoldporter.com>
Cc: jana@janagarner.com <jana@janagarner.com>; president@ua.edu <president@ua.edu>; dean@law.ua.edu <dean@law.ua.edu>; president@samford.edu <president@samford.edu>; blakehudson@samford.edu <blakehudson@samford.edu>; hduncan@bcatoday.org <hduncan@bcatoday.org>; Sharon Tinsley <stinsley@al-ba.com>
Sent: Sunday, August 9, 2026 at 07:25:20 AM CDT
Subject: Invitation to The Hon. Bill Barr & Merrick Garland to come to Alabama to discuss lawfare
Dear Mr. Barr (via Contact - Torridon Law) and Mr. Garland:
On Friday, in announcing his decision to vote to confirm Todd Blanche as Attorney General of the United States, Senator Bill Cassidy of Louisiana said,
“I’m particularly concerned about episodes of apparent lawfare, DOJ bringing suits against political enemies, both parties, presidents of both parties have been guilty of this. It must stop.” Sen. Bill Cassidy will support Todd Blanche attorney general nomination
I think many Alabamians would like to know how bad lawfare is in the United States, how the lawfare can be stopped, and, in their voting decisions in the 2026 elections, possibly take into account what individual Alabama Congressional candidates will do to stop lawfare if they are elected.
To that end, I invite the two of you, as former Attorneys General of the United States when "apparent" lawfare was conducted, to come to Alabama to discuss the same.
To find a venue for a discussion, I am copying on this email the President of the Alabama State Bar, the President and Dean of the law school of the University of Alabama, the President and Dean of the law school of Samford University, the President of the Business Council of Alabama, and the President of the Alabama Broadcasters Association.
I very much hope that this requested discussion can be brought about in Alabama.
Even if the two of you are not in a position to come to Alabama for such a discussion, I hope you may signal to me your belief that much discussion about lawfare, and what can be done to stop it, should take place in Alabama and elsewhere in the United States in connection with the 2026 elections.
Thank you.
Sincerely,
Rob Shattuck
Mountain Brook, Alabama