From Lawyers Committer for Civil Rights Under Law

WASHINGTON, D.C. – The Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law issued the following statement on the nomination of District Court nominee Thomas Farr. The statement followed new revelations yielded from a 1991 memorandum from the U.S. Justice Department regarding Farr’s role in schemes targeting African American voters dating back as far as 1984.

“New and damning information yielded from a 1991 Justice Department memorandum reveals that Thomas Farr was both architect and executioner of voter suppression tactics, including schemes dating back as far as 1984 targeting Black voters in North Carolina,” said Kristen Clarke, president and executive director of the Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law. “The Justice Department described Farr as the ‘primary coordinator’ of these schemes. This new information provides further evidence of the bias that Farr would bring to the federal bench. Moving forward with this nomination in light of this new evidence would make a mockery of the Senate’s advice and consent obligation. The Justice Department memo reveals a nominee who has been bent on suppressing the African-American vote for the past 34 years and raises questions about Farr’s truthfulness during the confirmation process.”

Clarke continued: “Americans deserve judges who will be fair, independent and impartial. Farr doesn’t fit the bill.”

The Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law stands opposed to the nomination of Thomas Farr. The 1991 Justice Department memo revealing new information regarding Thomas Farr can be found here.

About the Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law: The Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law, a nonpartisan, nonprofit organization, was formed in 1963 at the request of President John F. Kennedy to involve the private bar in providing legal services to address racial discrimination. Now in its 55th year, the Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law is continuing its quest to “Move America Toward Justice.” The principal mission of the Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law is to secure, through the rule of law, equal justice for all, particularly in the areas of criminal justice, fair housing and community development, economic justice, educational opportunities, and voting rights.