WASHINGTON, D.C.—People For the American Way Executive Vice President Marge Baker today released the following statement in response to media reports about the record of Steven J. Menashi, Donald Trump’s intended nominee to a lifetime seat on the United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit. Menashi currently serves as associate counsel to President Trump and is the former top lawyer at the Department of Education under Secretary DeVos.

“Betsy DeVos’ former right-hand man has no business on the federal bench. Not only has he been instrumental in enabling DeVos’ deeply harmful agenda, but his own record also reveals that he is a narrow-minded elitist who harbors shocking hostility to Muslims, lower-income families, women and LGBTQ Americans. Bottom line: We need fair-minded constitutionalists on the federal bench, not another right-wing zealot on a quest to build a federal court system that works only for the rich and privileged.”

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