After an unprecedented assault on our democracy and the certification of the Electoral College votes, I am proud to announce key nominations for the Department of Justice.
Our first-rate nominees are eminently qualified, embody character and judgment that is beyond reproach, and have devoted their careers to serving the American people with honor and integrity.
They will restore the independence of the Department so it serves the interests of the people, not a presidency, rebuild public trust in the rule of law, and work tirelessly to ensure a more fair and equitable justice system.
They will use the full extent of their authority to move us closer to the American ideal of equal justice under law -- de-politicizing and rooting out systemic racism from our laws, restoring voting rights, prosecuting hate crimes, eliminating racial disparities in sentencing, ending mandatory minimums, and restoring trust between law enforcement and the communities they serve through reforms that make our communities safer.
This tested slate includes some of the nation’s most accomplished public servants:
Judge Merrick Garland as Attorney General
Judge Garland is a Department of Justice veteran and independent jurist on the United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia. A consensus-building voice, Judge Garland has worked under Democratic and Republican administrations. He will restore integrity and the rule of law, boost morale of the dedicated career professionals at DOJ, and build a more equitable justice system that serves all Americans.
Lisa Monaco as Deputy Attorney General
Monaco served in the Department of Justice for fifteen years, as Assistant Attorney General for National Security, a senior official in the Office of the Deputy Attorney General and as a career prosecutor. She has been a trailblazer for women in national security, and she will help manage the Department effectively and with integrity on day one.
Vanita Gupta as Associate Attorney General
A former Acting Assistant Attorney General and one of the best-known and most respected civil rights attorneys in America, Gupta has spent her career fighting successfully for greater equity in our justice system and advancing the rights and dignity of every American. Gupta served as Acting Assistant Attorney General for the Civil Rights Division -- the chief civil rights prosecutor for the United States. She is a successful consensus builder on tough issues, with years of experience managing complex settlements and advocacy experience. As the Indian-American daughter of immigrants, she would be the first woman of color to serve in this role.
Kristen Clarke as Assistant Attorney General for Civil Rights
Clarke has extensive civil rights experience, starting her career in civil rights as a career attorney in the Civil Rights Division at the Department of Justice where she handled cases of police misconduct, hate crimes, human trafficking, voting rights, and redistricting cases. She has been a champion of systemic equity and equal justice throughout her career, including in her current role as president and executive director of the Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law and when she served as the head of the Civil Rights Bureau for the New York State Attorney General’s Office.
Kiersten, these leaders will work with the dedicated career professionals at DOJ to restore the mission and independence of the Department, always follow facts and the law, and serve and protect the American people with the integrity they deserve.
They are among the most accomplished legal minds in our country who also reflect the best of America’s full range of talents and background. I am honored they accepted this call to serve at such a critical time in our nation’s history.
Thanks for all you do,
Joe
