Durbin Delivers Opening Statement In Senate Judiciary Committee Hearing On Nomination Of Assistant Attorney General For The Criminal Division, Two Judicial Nominees

Durbin Delivers Opening Statement In Senate Judiciary Committee Hearing On Nomination Of Assistant Attorney General For The Criminal Division, Two Judicial Nominees

During his opening statement, Durbin condemned January 6 rioter, Christopher Moynihan, who was arrested for threatening to kill House Democratic Leader Jeffries

WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Ranking Member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, delivered opening remarks in today's Senate Judiciary Committee hearing on the nominations of Andrew Tysen Duva, nominated to be Assistant Attorney General for the Criminal Division; William Jerrol Crain, nominated to the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Louisiana; and Alexander Coker Van Hook, nominated to the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Louisiana.

During his opening statement, Durbin condemned January 6 insurrectionist, Christopher Moynihan, who was arrested on Sunday for threatening to kill Democratic House Leader Hakeem Jeffries. He also criticized the Trump Administration's cuts to the Department of Justice-including terminations of prosecutors who worked on the cases of January 6 rioters; the diversion of public safety resources to immigration raids in Chicago; and more.

Key Quotes:

"Criminal Division prosecutors handle some of the most complex and important cases in this country, including public corruption, child exploitation and child sexual abuse material, white collar crime, money laundering, violent crime; the list is long. This mission used to have bipartisan support, but the Trump Administration has fired dozens of prosecutors simply because they prosecuted January 6 rioters and has gutted key Criminal Division components."

"Just look at the Public Integrity Section, also known as 'PIN,' which is responsible for investigating and prosecuting public corruption cases… At the end of the Biden Administration, there were about 30 prosecutors in [PIN]. Now, the Section has two [attorneys]. Two."

"At the same time, illegally-appointed Interim U.S. Attorney Alina Habba is bragging that she will use her position… to 'turn New Jersey red' while she is prosecut[ing] a sitting member of Congress. Mr. Duva, in our meeting this week, you told me you found value in collaborating with PIN attorneys on public corruption cases you prosecuted… So, I want to hear from you how you will rebuild this Section and restore its authority should you be confirmed."

"A recent Reuters article reported that the number of drug prosecutions under the Trump Administration has dropped to the lowest level in decades this year. The number of money-laundering prosecutions has dropped by 24 percent. Nor are gun crimes exempt: felon in possession of a firearm prosecutions have fallen [about] five percent this year. I want to hear from Mr. Duva how he will reverse these troubling trends and how he can divert resources from the Department of Justice to the mass deportation campaign without facing more statistics like these."

"Where are the Justice Department's resources going? President Trump's mass deportations. This isn't about reducing crime. Despite President Trump's claims that he is going after the 'worst of the worst'… [70 percent of the immigrants detained have no criminal convictions]."

"Let's be clear about what is happening in places like Chicago: President Trump is abusing his power by shifting Justice Department resources away from keeping the American people safe to fuel his mass deportation campaign. He is deploying federal law enforcement to zip-tie children and teargas peaceful protestors and journalists for political theater, not for public safety. We need Justice Department officials who will honor their oath."

"Let me close with a point that has been made repeatedly in this Committee. There are some members of this Committee who believe that violence [against] elected officials is inspired by the left. At the outset, I am opposed to violence against public officials and others regardless if it comes from the right or the left and I don't believe it is [solely] the province of the left to do these excessive and unacceptable things. [On Sunday] Christopher Moynihan was re-arrested. Christopher Moynihan had been prosecuted for breaking into the Capitol on January 6. He admitted that he rifled through the desk on the Senate floor of Senator Cruz. What happened was he was traced by local police to be involved in some threats against the life of Democratic House Leader Hakeem Jeffries. This is what Mr. Moynihan said, 'I can't allow this terrorist to live … Even if I'm hated, Hakeem Jeffries must be eliminated.' That was [from] a man who received a full and unconditional pardon by President Trump earlier this year. He had been arrested for his activities on January 6. The point I'm trying to make and want to make clearly-violence, whatever the source, right or left, should not be tolerated by anyone on this Committee."

Video of Durbin's opening statement is available here.

Audio of Durbin's opening statement is available here.

Footage of Durbin's opening statement is available here for TV Stations.

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