WASHINGTON – Today, U.S. Senator John Cornyn (R-TX) voiced concerns about some of President Biden’s selections to fill deputy roles at the Department of Justice, namely Vanita Gupta, for Associate Attorney General, and Kristen Clarke, for Civil Rights Division head. Excerpts of Sen. Cornyn’s remarks are below, and video can be found here.
“I’ll also note that Judge Garland didn’t really answer anything in his QFR responses that would give us any confidence that he will ensure that the Justice Department does not return to the Holder days.”
“I find it particularly troubling that during the hearing and in response to questions, he advocated for both Vanita Gupta and Kristen Clarke, both of whom he barely knows.
“One need not look very far back into their respective records to find evidence that they are all about politics in the Justice Department; calls to defund the police as recently as June of last year, calls to eliminate qualified immunity for law enforcement.”
“All of these should be non-starters for anyone assuming a position in law enforcement. I hope I’m wrong, but I’m not sure.”