Indiana Attorney General Todd Rokita and four Republican attorneys general wrote to President Joe Biden Monday, urging him to withdraw Vanita Gupta’s nomination to be the next associate attorney general, arguing that her support for defunding law enforcement and other “radical” views disqualify her for the position, Breitbart News has learned exclusively.
“Ms. Gupta’s past comments and track record have demonstrated her disinterest in meaningful police reform in favor of destructive policies that would defund the police,” the attorneys general wrote to Biden. “Her nomination will further divide our nation instead of implementing policies to protect our communities and support law enforcement.”
Louisiana Attorney General Jeff Landry, Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, Arkansas Attorney General Leslie Rutledge, and Oklahoma Attorney General Mike Hunter joined Rokita in the letter urging Biden to withdraw Gupta’s nomination.
Rokita said that Biden, who used to oversee the Justice Department as the Senate Judiciary chair, should know that it remains essential to public safety to maintain a cooperative relationship between the Justice Department and local law enforcement. However, he and the other attorneys general argued her confirmation could jeopardize that relationship, especially as many communities experienced a spike in crime last year.
They wrote:
As you know, the roughly 18,000 local law enforcement agencies across the country are the tip of the spear when it comes to protecting our communities from criminals. 2020 was a difficult year for many reasons, including a rise in violent crime in our cities. Many metropolitan areas ended 2020 with a record number of homicides. At this juncture, we need to support our police and provide them resources to help make our cities and neighborhoods safer. This is not the time for the Department to pull back policing and implement policies that would shift resources to other priorities and “decrease police budgets.”
The attorneys general noted that her policing policies would make local communities less safe, writing:
Instead, she wants to shift scarce resources to other priorities rather than hire more police. But, contrary to her line of thinking, hiring more police does reduce crime. To be sure, she has received backing recently from national organizations, but she has demonstrated a hostility to rank and file law enforcement. Should she be entrusted with making policies that will affect all local law enforcement and prosecutors, the result will be higher crime rates, more families torn apart by homicides and other violent crime, and neighborhoods where kids feel like they have no choice other than to take part in a life of crime.
“It will not help the situation to make law enforcement officers’ jobs more difficult by forcing upon them a radical agenda with fewer policing resources,” they added.
“Endorsing such a radical nominee is no way to bring about unity,” Rokita and the attorneys general wrote.
Opposition to Gupta’s confirmation has support from across the conservative spectrum.
The Judicial Crisis Network, Heritage Action for America, and Americans for Public Trust have launched attack ads against Gupta’s confirmation, noting that she supports defunding law enforcement.
Here is one ad from the Judicial Crisis Network against her confirmation:
The attorneys general wrote that Gupta has many other radical views that disqualify her to become the next associate attorney general, including allowing transgender students to play girls’ sports and packing the courts. They wrote:
She has advocated limiting religious liberties, and once called religious exemptions to the contraception mandate an “attack on women’s rights.” She advocated allowing transgender students who identify as boys playing girls’ sports and supports packing the courts. In testimony before the United States Senate, she indicated her belief that all Americans are racist. Her worldview and low esteem of Americans are far outside the mainstream in the United States.
Gupta also said that after the death of Associate Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, Gupta backed the option of packing the Supreme Court with additional justices for the sake of “democracy.”
“We ask that you withdraw Ms. Gupta’s nomination and instead nominate someone who will support our local law enforcement to help bring about safer and more prosperous communities,” Rokita and the attorneys general concluded in their letter to President Biden.
Sean Moran is a congressional reporter for Breitbart News. Follow him on Twitter @SeanMoran3.