Former and current Justice Department officials are reportedly relieved that Joe Biden decided to step aside and endorse Kamala Harris after weeks of considering the possibility of Donald Trump, who has twice been convicted of federal criminal offenses, returning to the presidency.
Biden’s move prompted a letter of support for Harris signed by more than 40 former Justice Department officials from various administrations, including prominent figures such as Loretta Lynch, Sally Yates and John McKay, NBC News reported. “The fabric of our nation, the rule of law and the future of our democracy are at stake in this election,” they wrote. According to the letter, obtained by NBC News, the letter describes Trump as “a grave risk to our country, our global alliance and the future of our democracy.”
The letter also highlighted Trump’s disregard for the rule of law, citing early actions such as his “unconstitutional Muslim travel ban” and attempts to “retain power in defiance of the results of the election and the will of the American people.” In contrast, the letter praised Harris’ experience as California’s attorney general and her work in the Biden administration, saying she possesses the qualities to be “the best choice to defeat Donald Trump and lead the country.”
Even before Trump tried to overturn the 2020 election results, Justice Department officials were worried about his second term. Trump had already fired two attorneys general for not serving his interests: one for obstructing special counsel Robert Mueller’s investigation into the 2016 election campaign and another for alleging election fraud. Trump’s attempts to overturn the results at the end of his presidency led to one of his ongoing criminal cases. Concerns about an unhinged president were heightened following a Supreme Court decision on presidential immunity that liberal justices warned could have “disastrous consequences.”
Former Justice Department spokesman Anthony Corey supported Harris, saying, “Harris has served as our nation’s highest-level prosecutor and understands the role of the Department of Justice. She understands it is inappropriate for the White House to interfere in a criminal investigation and we do not expect her approach to the judiciary to change, regardless of the Supreme Court’s decision.”
Corey added, “This is important because the United States Supreme Court has given every president a road map for how to weigh in on the scope of criminal investigations. That’s not in Kamala Harris’ DNA. So, regardless of what the Supreme Court decides, I think she’s going to be very respectful of the rule of law and the separation between the White House and the Department of Justice on criminal matters.”
As vice president, Harris intentionally kept her involvement with the Justice Department low, though she did head the White House Office of Gun Violence Prevention, which covers the department. Her ties to the department were clear early on in her campaign: She visited campaign headquarters with her brother-in-law, former assistant attorney general Tony West, for example. Her vetting process for running her running mate was led by former Attorney General Eric Holder, and her communications director, Brian Fallon, is a former Justice Department spokesman.
Federal law enforcement officials echoed the sentiment in favor of a former prosecutor as commander in chief. “Having a former prosecutor as commander in chief is preferable to having a convicted felon,” one official said.
Corey likened the election to a courtroom battle: “You’ve got felons on one side, prosecutors on the other, and the American people serving as jurors.”
Harris’ candidacy could also shift the focus away from Justice Department investigations that have affected Biden’s presidency, including the special counsel investigation into Biden’s handling of classified documents (which ended without indictments) and the ongoing case against his son, Hunter Biden, who was indicted on gun and tax charges. Biden has been praised for maintaining the Justice Department’s independence despite tensions with Attorney General Merrick Garland.
“Biden has made it clear in both words and actions that he supports the rule of law,” Garland said. Former Justice Department officials also praised Biden’s decision to step down, recognizing it was “putting country first and passing the baton to the next generation of leadership.”
But Ms. Harris’ comments about the Department of Justice’s actions have sometimes drawn criticism. For example, she criticized special counsel Robert Hur’s report on Biden’s handling of classified documents as “inaccurate and inadequate” and “clearly politically motivated.”
Biden’s move prompted a letter of support for Harris signed by more than 40 former Justice Department officials from various administrations, including prominent figures such as Loretta Lynch, Sally Yates and John McKay, NBC News reported. “The fabric of our nation, the rule of law and the future of our democracy are at stake in this election,” they wrote. According to the letter, obtained by NBC News, the letter describes Trump as “a grave risk to our country, our global alliance and the future of our democracy.”
The letter also highlighted Trump’s disregard for the rule of law, citing early actions such as his “unconstitutional Muslim travel ban” and attempts to “retain power in defiance of the results of the election and the will of the American people.” In contrast, the letter praised Harris’ experience as California’s attorney general and her work in the Biden administration, saying she possesses the qualities to be “the best choice to defeat Donald Trump and lead the country.”
Even before Trump tried to overturn the 2020 election results, Justice Department officials were worried about his second term. Trump had already fired two attorneys general for not serving his interests: one for obstructing special counsel Robert Mueller’s investigation into the 2016 election campaign and another for alleging election fraud. Trump’s attempts to overturn the results at the end of his presidency led to one of his ongoing criminal cases. Concerns about an unhinged president were heightened following a Supreme Court decision on presidential immunity that liberal justices warned could have “disastrous consequences.”
Former Justice Department spokesman Anthony Corey supported Harris, saying, “Harris has served as our nation’s highest-level prosecutor and understands the role of the Department of Justice. She understands it is inappropriate for the White House to interfere in a criminal investigation and we do not expect her approach to the judiciary to change, regardless of the Supreme Court’s decision.”
Corey added, “This is important because the United States Supreme Court has given every president a road map for how to weigh in on the scope of criminal investigations. That’s not in Kamala Harris’ DNA. So, regardless of what the Supreme Court decides, I think she’s going to be very respectful of the rule of law and the separation between the White House and the Department of Justice on criminal matters.”
As vice president, Harris intentionally kept her involvement with the Justice Department low, though she did head the White House Office of Gun Violence Prevention, which covers the department. Her ties to the department were clear early on in her campaign: She visited campaign headquarters with her brother-in-law, former assistant attorney general Tony West, for example. Her vetting process for running her running mate was led by former Attorney General Eric Holder, and her communications director, Brian Fallon, is a former Justice Department spokesman.
Federal law enforcement officials echoed the sentiment in favor of a former prosecutor as commander in chief. “Having a former prosecutor as commander in chief is preferable to having a convicted felon,” one official said.
Corey likened the election to a courtroom battle: “You’ve got felons on one side, prosecutors on the other, and the American people serving as jurors.”
Harris’ candidacy could also shift the focus away from Justice Department investigations that have affected Biden’s presidency, including the special counsel investigation into Biden’s handling of classified documents (which ended without indictments) and the ongoing case against his son, Hunter Biden, who was indicted on gun and tax charges. Biden has been praised for maintaining the Justice Department’s independence despite tensions with Attorney General Merrick Garland.
“Biden has made it clear in both words and actions that he supports the rule of law,” Garland said. Former Justice Department officials also praised Biden’s decision to step down, recognizing it was “putting country first and passing the baton to the next generation of leadership.”
But Ms. Harris’ comments about the Department of Justice’s actions have sometimes drawn criticism. For example, she criticized special counsel Robert Hur’s report on Biden’s handling of classified documents as “inaccurate and inadequate” and “clearly politically motivated.”
