U.S. Sen. Pat Toomey opposes President Barack Obama’s decision to appoint Debo Adegbile to the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights.
In 2014, Toomey voted against Adegbile’s nomination to head the Department of Justice’s Civil Rights Division. The nomination failed, 52–47.
A lawyer, Adegbile once represented Mumia Abu-Jamal, convicted in the 1981 murder of Philadelphia Police Officer Daniel Faulkner.
ldquo;In 2014, a bipartisan majority of the U.S. Senate agreed that Debo Adegbile was not fit to represent the people of the United States in enforcing Americans’ civil rights — then, as head of the Justice Department’s Civil Right Division. And with good reason. Mr. Adegbile did not simply defend a client. He supervised an effort to lionize unrepentant cop-killer Mumia Abu Jamal, who cold-bloodedly murdered Philadelphia Police Officer Danny Faulkner 35 years ago. Mr. Adegbile supervised the effort to spread misinformation about the trial and evidence, fabricate claims of racism, malign Philly police, and organize rallies across the globe that portrayed this brutal cop-killer as the victim,” Toomey said.
ldquo;President Obama’s decision to nevertheless appoint Mr. Adegbile to the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights is a slap in the face to every law enforcement officer in America. President Obama added insult to injury by lauding Mr. Adegbile, saying, ‘He represents the best of the legal profession’ and evinced an ‘unwavering dedication to protecting every American’s civil and constitutional rights under the law.’ What about the rights of Danny Faulkner and his widow Maureen?”
Toomey is calling on Obama to withdraw the appointment.
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Megan Sweeney, communications director for the Republican Party of Pennsylvania, called the Adegbile nomination a “joke.” Sweeney wants to know if Sen. Bob Casey Jr. supports Obama’s effort to “shoehorn” Adegbile onto the civil rights commission.
“Does Sen. Bob Casey support the Obama administration’s decision to appoint one of Mumia Abu-Jamal’s biggest supporters to a major civil rights commission? Debo Adegbile has spent years working to make a convicted cop-killer a cause célèbre at the expense of Officer Danny Faulkner’s loved ones. Debo Adegbile should be condemned for his actions, not awarded a place in our government,” she said.
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The Pennsylvania Democratic Party wants to hear from U.S. Rep. Pat Meehan about reports on Russia’s interference in the U.S. election to aid President-elect Donald Trump.
Meehan is rumored to be considering a challenge to Sen. Bob Casey Jr.
Sens. Mitch McConnell, John McCain and Lindsey Graham are among Republicans calling for a probe.
“Professionals at the CIA, who risk their lives for our nation every day, believe with ‘high confidence’ that the Russian government attempted to influence the election in favor of President-elect Trump, yet radical Congressman Pat Meehan is silent,” said Brandon Cwalina, spokesman for the state Democratic Party. “When will Pat Meehan come out of hiding and join the bipartisan calls for a congressional investigation? What has he been doing since this crisis was first reported? This is beyond party politics. What the CIA believes the Russians did is an attack on our values. It’s time for Pat Meehan to end his strange silence.”
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On a conference call with members of the media, Pennsylvania Democratic Party Chairman Marcel Groen called for an independent, bipartisan investigation of Russian hacking in the 2016 election.
ldquo;I call on our congressional delegation to support an independent, bipartisan commission to investigate Russia’s interference in the election, and we must follow the investigation wherever it takes us. We need to figure out exactly what happened; we need to determine what Trump knew, when he knew it and what the consequences were; and we need to ensure this never, ever happens again. And shame on those on the other side of the aisle who went along with this assault on our democracy. Our nation was built on the prospect of free and fair elections, and we cannot allow them to be compromised,” he said.
On the call, state AFL-CIO president Rick Bloomingdale criticized Trump’s cabinet picks.
“It’s clear by now that Donald Trump misled voters about draining the swamp — if you look at his cabinet, he’s appointing the same Wall Street bankers, corporate CEOs and Washington insiders that he railed against during the campaign. It’s a rude awakening for folks who thought Trump was going to actually shake up Washington,” he said.
Bloomingdale specifically criticized Betsy DeVos, nominated to be secretary of the Department of Education. She favors vouchers, school choice and charter schools. ••
