People For the American Way today called on senators to oppose the confirmation of Amul Thapar, President Trump’s nominee to the 6th Circuit Court of Appeals. Earlier this week, PFAW sent a letter to members of the Senate Judiciary Committee raising concerns about Thapar’s record on laws limiting the impact of money in politics as well as protections against sexual harassment. Marge Baker, Executive Vice President at People For the American Way, issued the following statement:
“Going into today’s hearings we had real concerns about Judge Thapar’s record of using his position to strike down commonsense regulations designed to limit the impact of big money in our democracy. After today’s hearings, those concerns have only increased. Judge Thapar refused to give a credible answer as to why he twisted Supreme Court precedent in order to strike down campaign finance laws while serving as a district court judge. That should be extremely concerning for the vast majority of Americans who believe that there’s already too much money in our elections.
“Given his record and his performance today, it’s clear why Judge Thapar was hand-picked by right-wing activists at the Heritage Foundation and the Federalist Society for Donald Trump’s Supreme Court shortlist. Judge Thapar has already shown he’s willing to push his ideological agenda from the bench, and there’s no reason to think he won’t continue that pattern if he’s elevated to the Sixth Circuit. Senators of both parties should oppose his confirmation.”
People For the American Way is a progressive advocacy organization founded to fight right-wing extremism and defend constitutional values including free expression, religious liberty, equal justice under the law, and the right to meaningfully participate in our democracy.