WASHINGTON—In response to Sen. Chuck Grassley’s comments that the nomination of Jeff Mateer to the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Texas will not be moving forward, People For the American Way Executive Vice President Marge Baker issued the following statement:

“This is a victory for anyone who believes in the ideal of justice for all. It is a testament to the hard work of advocates across the country who made clear that hate has no place in our nation’s courts.

“Jeff Mateer was flagrantly unfit for a lifetime position as a federal judge. He stood alongside right-wing activists who called for gay people to be executed. He called transgender children part of ‘Satan’s plan.’ There is absolutely no way any member of the LGBTQ community could expect fair judgement in any court with Mateer on the bench. The fact that he was nominated at all is a black mark on the record of the Trump administration and a crystal clear signal that Trump’s feints towards supporting LGBTQ people were as meaningless as they always appeared.

“Along with Brett Talley, whose nomination also ran aground today, Mateer represents the tip of the iceberg when it comes to Trump’s campaign to pack the courts with narrow-minded elitists intent on pushing a radical agenda from the bench.

“I couldn’t be prouder of the People For the American Way members who raised their voices to demand that their senators oppose the Mateer confirmation.”

Earlier this year, People For the American Way released a digital ad exposing Mateer’s record. The ad ran in Texas, Maine, Ohio, Alaska, Nevada and South Carolina.

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.

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