Attorney General Kamala D. Harris Issues Statement on President-Elect Trump's Proposed Nomination of Senator Jefferson Beauregard Sessions as U.S. Attorney General

Friday, November 18, 2016
Contact: (916) 210-6000, agpressoffice@doj.ca.gov

LOS ANGELES-- Attorney General Kamala D. Harris issued the following statement, in response to media reports that President-Elect Trump will nominate Senator Jefferson Beauregard Sessions (R-AL) to serve as U.S. Attorney General:

While I have many concerns with President-Elect Trump's nominations to date, the nomination of Senator Jefferson Beauregard Sessions is particularly troubling.

Justice Robert Jackson, one of the most esteemed justices to serve on the Supreme Court, wrote of the U.S. Department of Justice, 'The prosecutor has more control over life, liberty, and reputation than any other person in America. His discretion is tremendous.' 

I know from my own career in law enforcement, civil rights, and the six years I have spent as California's Attorney General how important this role is for our society. The Attorney General is the people's lawyer, a public servant who is sworn to uphold the promise of equal protection under the law and to ensure the fair administration of justice for all.

In viewing the role of the U.S. Attorney General through this lens, I have deep concerns about Senator Sessions' nomination. Particularly, I am concerned with his support for policies that would undermine core Department of Justice functions and his views that are incompatible with constitutional guarantees.

Like all presidential nominees, Senator Sessions deserves a fair and thorough hearing by the Senate, and I look forward to actively engaging in that process.

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