Read the PDF of our statement here.
LDF Statement on Nomination of Eric Dreiband to Lead Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division
Today, the President nominated Eric Dreiband to lead the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund, Inc. (LDF) President and Director-Counsel Sherrilyn Ifill issued the following statement in response:
“The head of the Civil Rights Division must be an advocate for the most vulnerable among us – someone deeply committed to protecting the rights of all Americans. Eric Dreiband’s civil rights record is the opposite. He has very little experience defending the civil rights of the victims of discrimination. In fact, to the contrary, he has spent the bulk of his career representing those accused of discrimination. He also advocated repeatedly—through congressional testimony and his own commentary—for weaker antidiscrimination protections in the workplace. Mr. Dreiband testified against what became the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act, which protects workers from pay discrimination, and has repeatedly argued to narrow the EEOC’s enforcement authority. In other vital areas of civil rights enforcement, including criminal justice, policing reform, voting rights, and hate crimes, he appears to have no relevant experience at all. In short, there is nothing in Mr. Dreiband’s record to suggest that he has the background needed to lead enforcement of the nation’s civil rights laws.
‘This administration has already launched an assault on our civil and human rights, and we need someone in charge of the Civil Rights Division with a demonstrated commitment to equal justice that will stand up for the rule of law in the United States, and who will help unite instead of further divide this country. The Senate must thoroughly review Mr. Dreiband’s record and vigorously question him during his nomination hearing on the full range of issues within the Division’s purview.”
Resources
To learn more about President Trump’s pick to lead the Civil Rights Division, read this explainer from LDF Policy Counsel Kyle Barry.
Press:
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Founded in 1940, the NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund, Inc. (LDF) is the nation’s first civil and human rights law organization and has been completely separate from the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) since 1957—although LDF was originally founded by the NAACP and shares its commitment to equal rights. LDF’s Thurgood Marshall Institute is a multi-disciplinary and collaborative hub within LDF that launches targeted campaigns and undertakes innovative research to shape the civil rights narrative. In media attributions, please refer to us as the NAACP Legal Defense Fund or LDF.
