Dawn Johnsen Vote Marked By Partisan Hypocrisy

Statement of Alliance for Justice President Nan Aron

March 19, 2009, Washington, DC—"Today's party-line Judiciary Committee vote on the nomination of Dawn Johnsen to head the Office of Legal Counsel at the Justice Department is disappointing for more than just its political partisanship.  Senator John Cornyn (R-TX) attempted to justify his vote by saying that Ms. Johnsen lacks 'the requisite seriousness needed to head the Office of Legal Counsel.' 

"Senator Cornyn rejected a highly qualified nominee, citing a reason he never would have relied on with a male candidate.  Beyond the blatant double-standard, his justification doesn't pass the laugh test. Dawn Johnsen is exceptionally qualified.  She is a highly regarded law professor and legal scholar.  She served in a leadership role in the Office of Legal Counsel for five years, and acted as the head of that office for over a year.  Her nomination has been routinely praised by some of the most respected lawyers and legal professionals in the nation. 

"Senator Cornyn, however, gave full-throated support to Alberto Gonzales to be attorney general of the United States.  And let us not forget his support for previous head of the Office of Legal Counsel Jay Bybee, who authored torture memos later repudiated by the Department of Justice. The primary qualification possessed by these men was an inability to say no to the White House.

"Senator Cornyn's record not only highlights today's double-standard, it also calls into question what exactly his standards are in the first place."