Welch Denounces Trumps Tender

WASHINGTON D.C. -- U.S. Senator Peter Welch (D-Vt.) Raking Member of the Senate Judiciary Subcommittee on The Constitution this week denounced the President Trumps attacks on the Department of Justices (DOJ) Civil Rights Division including the Administrations plans to freeze all new civil rights cases or investigations at the division.
Ahead of yesterdays hearing Senator Welch released a with the new policy statements provided to career attorneys at the Civil Rights Division. These directives which have not previously been made public show how the Divisions enforcement priorities have been narrowed changed and in some cases reversed under the leadership of Assistant Attorney General for Civil Rights Harmeet Dhillon to mirror and advance President Trumps political agenda. The memo also sheds light on Assistant Attorney General Dhillons efforts to oust career attorneys through reassignments and resignations. Senator Welchs office obtained data showing that since the beginning of President Trumps second term more than 368 individuals have left the Civil Rights Division and only two Section chiefs remain in place.
The Civil Rights Division is a crown jewel in the Department of Justice of the United States of America said Senator Welch. But theres a profound difference in the Justice Department today than there was the day before the election. The new policy directives that are being issued to DOJ attorneys is the zealous and faithful pursuit of The priorities of the President. No Its the priorities of the Constitution. Its the priorities of the legislation passed by Congress. It is not the priorities of any person even if that person is the President of the United States. That is not what the job of the Justice Department is to do.
Watch Senator Welchs full remarks :

Read Senator Welchs opening remarks as delivered .
Senator Welch questioned Ms. Dhillon about whether the Trump Administration influenced the DOJs highly irregular decision to order mid-decade redistricting of Texas congressional districts. The Senator also called out Ms. Dhillon for her refusal to acknowledge that President Biden won the 2020 Presidential Election.
Read key excerpts from Senator Welchs exchange with Ms. Dhillon:

As you know President Trump has recently encouraged--Ill use that--Texas Republicans to do mid-cycle redistricting in order to gain more seats in the House of Representatives. I understand that after the President made that decision or that announcement you personally sent a letter on July 7 to Texas--in your capacity as Assistant Attorney General--arguing that four Democratic districts violate federal law said Senator Welch. Before you sent the letter on July 7 did you have any conversation with any representatives of the White House?
Ms. Dhillon: Senator as youre aware there are privileges that are involved in all Executive Branch communications and without--Im not able to testify without breaching the Department of Justices guidelines in that regard. So Im unable to answer any questions about conversations I may have had with other Executive Branch officials.
Senator Welch: Im not asking you what the content of the conversation was. Im asking whether there was any conversation with anyone from the White House before you sent that July 7 letter.
Ms. Dhillon: Senator I have the same answer. I think youre aware of the scope the broad scope of privileges that apply to lawyers conduct.
Senator Welch: Well heres what Im aware of: the President made a directive--which is highly unusual--telling a legislature the Texas legislature mid-decade to do redistricting when we do that every ten years. And oh it just so happened the Assistant Attorney General sent a letter to that legislature--after the President made his announcement--and said that your investigations suggest four districts are in violation of federal law.
Ms. Dhillon: Is there a question Senator?
Senator Welch: Theres a point here that its hard to believe that that wasnt coordinated.

Senator Welch has been a leading voice in pushing back against the Trump Administrations attacks on the rule of law and efforts to undermine the Department of Justice. In April Senator Welch led six Senate Judiciary Committee colleagues in from the DOJ concerning the Trump Administrations efforts to dismantle the Departments Civil Rights Division. The Senators separately called for Senator Eric Schmitt (R-Mo.) Chair of the Judiciary Subcommittee on the Constitution to immediately hold an oversight hearing with Assistant Attorney General Dhillon on the politicization of DOJs Civil Rights Division.
During President Trumps first week in office Senator Welch the Presidents plans to freeze all new civil rights cases or investigations at DOJs Civil Rights Division and suggestions that it would sideline police reform agreements established by the Biden Administration.
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