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Nominee to Lead DOJ Civil Rights Division Has Fought AGAINST Civil Rights
In late June, Trump nominated another dangerous individual to lead an important government position charged with protecting and defending a segment of the U.S. population. Eric Dreiband has been nominated to lead the Department of Justice's Civil Rights division. Dreiband has represented corporations defending themselves against civil rights and employment discrimination accusations. He is the exact opposite of the person that should be leading the Civil Rights division which handles voting rights, policing and discrimination cases among other things.
Dreiband, a former George W. Bush administration official, represented R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Company in an age discrimination case and Bloomberg in a pregnancy discrimination case as a partner at the law firm Jones Day.
Statements of disgusts from those who have dedicated their lives to the cause of civil rights were swift and direct:
Vanita Gupta, head of the Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights and a former leader of the civil rights division under President Barack Obama, said Dreiband's past work showed he was not up for the job. “Whoever leads the ‘crown jewel’ of the Justice Department must have deep relationships with stakeholders and marginalized communities, and have a deep, abiding faith in our nation’s civil rights laws,” Gupta said. “They must respect the laws that touch everyone, rights that people have literally died for. They must respect the role of what has been called the conscience of the federal government. In all those regards, Eric Dreiband is woefully unqualified to lead the Civil Rights Division.”
“Dreiband’s nomination, however, continues the Trump administration’s disturbing trend of retreating from — if not outright undermining — fundamental civil rights priorities,” the NAACP Legal Defense Fund said.
Jesselyn McCurdy, the deputy director of the American Civil Liberties Union Washington Legislative Office, said, “As a private attorney, Dreiband represented organizations seeking religious exemptions to avoid providing contraceptive coverage for women in the workplace,” McCurdy said. “He also argued on behalf of the University of North Carolina in support of a law that discriminates against trans people.”
Kristen Clarke, president and executive director of the Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law, said, “Our preliminary review of Mr. Dreiband’s record suggests that he brings little to no experience in the critical areas of voting rights, policing reform or criminal justice generally,” Clarke said. “Millions of Americans gripped by the rise in racially-motivated hate crimes, voter suppression and an unfair criminal justice system are watching.”
ACTION: A Senate confirmation hearing is to come for Dreiband, the date of which has not been set at this time. It will be important to engage in Smart Dissent and let our representatives know where we stand in favor of Civil Rights leadership.
Sources:
http://www.politico.com/story/2017/06/29/activists-oppose-trump-civil-rights-pick-240112