Donald Trump says Jeff Sessions’ DOJ has placed GOP in midterm jeopardy
Showing his disregard for the Justice Department’s independence, President Donald Trump tweeted that federal indictments against two Republican congressmen placed the GOP in midterm election jeopardy. Trump again attacked Attorney General Jeff Sessions in the tweet suggesting that the Justice Department consider politics when making decisions: “Obama era investigations, of two very popular Republican Congressmen were brought to a well publicized charge, just ahead of the Mid-Terms, by the Jeff Sessions Justice Department. Two easy wins now in doubt because there is not enough time. Good job Jeff……” Trump has frequently suggested he views the Justice Department less as a law enforcement agency and more as a department that is supposed to do his personal and political bidding. Still, investigators are never supposed to take into account the political affiliations of the people they investigate. Trump did not name the Republican congressmen, but he was apparently referring to the first two Republicans to endorse him in the GOP presidential primaries. Both were indicted on separate charges last month: Rep. Duncan Hunter of California on charges that included spending campaign funds for personal expenses and Rep. Chris Collins of New York on insider trading. Both have proclaimed their innocence. The Hunter investigation began in June 2016, according to the indictment. The indictment into Collins lays out behavior from 2017. He was also under investigation by congressional ethics officials. Hunter has not exited his race, while Collins ended his re-election bid days after his indictment. Both seats appear likely to remain in GOP hands, but the charges have raised Democratic hopes. A spokeswoman for Sessions declined to comment, and the White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Trump did not have any public events Monday. He briefly exited the White House to a waiting motorcade, but then went back inside without going anywhere. Trump’s tweet drew a scolding from Sen. Ben Sasse, a Nebraska Republican who sits on the Senate Judiciary Committee. “The United States is not some banana republic with a two-tiered system of justice — one for the majority party and one for the minority party,” Sasse said in a statement. “These two men have been charged with crimes because of evidence, not because of who the President was when the investigations began. Instead of commenting on ongoing investigations and prosecutions, the job of the President of the United States is to defend the Constitution and protect the impartial administration of justice.” Trump has previously pressed Sessions to investigate his perceived enemies and has accused Sessions of failing to take control of the Justice Department. Trump has also repeatedly complained publicly and privately over Sessions’ decision to recuse himself from the federal investigation into possible collusion between the Trump campaign and Russia because he’d worked on Trump’s campaign. Some of the issues Trump has raised have either already been examined or are being investigated. The tension between Trump and Sessions boiled over recently with Sessions punching back, saying that he and his department “will not be improperly influenced by political considerations.” Still, Sessions has made clear to associates that he has no intention of leaving his job voluntarily despite Trump’s constant criticism. Allies, including Republican members of Congress, have long advised Trump that firing Sessions — especially before the November midterm elections — would be deeply damaging to the party. But some have indicated that Trump may make a change after the elections. “I think there will come a time, sooner rather than later, where it will be time to have a new face and a fresh voice at the Department of Justice,” Sen. Lindsey Graham of South Carolina told reporters recently. Republished with the permission of the Associated Press.
It’s time for Jeff Sessions to move on
In the last several weeks the public jabs back and forth between Attorney General Jeff Sessions and President Donald Trump heated up to what can only be described as an unmitigated disaster. It was like watching a scene from Mean Girls as first Trump tweeted about Sessions and Sessions responded with an official statement and now just yesterday it was reported Trump was criticizing Sessions accent and educational background. Enough already! Stop the madness. While I know this opinion will be unfavorable, especially here in Sweet Home Alabama I feel like I need to join the chorus of folks saying – it is time for Sessions to step down from his role. It does no one any good for him to be there under these circumstances and knowing Trump’s temperament it’s not a matter of if but when Sessions finds himself on the receiving end of a tweet informing him that his tenure in the administration is over. Session’s presence in the administration has become a distraction from the important work the Department of Justice is and needs to be doing. The president’s cabinet and our federal government needs to function in a fluid fashion and our leaders need to have, or at least be able to show respect for one another, if not for the offices that each of them hold. I wrote about Sessions recusing himself from the Russia investigation very early on when it occurred, agreeing with Trump that Sessions shouldn’t have done so. That said I’m a big fan of Session’s and the service he’s given to our state and our nation. While I disagree with him on some issues (like civil forfeiture) he’s proven throughout his career that he loves our nation and justice. So while it’s shame, it is abundantly clear that it’s time for the Department of Justice to have a clean slate. It’s time for grown men to act like grown men. It’s time for the Sessions to realize he’s no longer just the guest who’s worn out his welcome he’s making the party uncomfortable for everyone. If he were to sooner rather than later before things get any uglier, he could absolutely chase away the 50 of so people with their names being thrown around to run and beat Sen. Doug Jones in 2020 to take the U.S. Senate seat he vacated to become AG (should he have any interest in that which is doubtful to say the least). He could clearly also have a very lucrative private sector or job in higher education. His possibilities are endless but they all start with the same thing, he has to be willing to see that the price of this ongoing public feud is too high and it’s time to go. He must do all he can to protect and maintain not just his own reputation but that of the agency he’s been entrusted to run. Now, I don’t kid myself that the confirmation of a new attorney general would be an easy feat but we need someone in there that can be more effective and less divisive. We need to start sooner rather than later getting ready for that fight.
Jeff Sessions, Justice Department defend college students First Amendment rights
Jeff Sessions is making headlines this week and setting off the liberal left with common sense, constitutional actions. Among his actions giving the “open minded,” “tolerant,” progressives heartburn is the fact that the Justice Department has decided to take on schools infringing on students First Amendment rights under the guise of attempting to police “biased speech.” Weighing in on a University of Michigan case, the Justice Department said: The Department of Justice today filed a Statement of Interest in Speech First, Inc., v. Schlissel in the Eastern District of Michigan. The plaintiff, Speech First, a nationwide organization dedicated to defending civil liberties, alleges that the University of Michigan has adopted policies prohibiting and punishing speech protected by the First and Fourteenth Amendments. Speech First alleges that the University of Michigan’s policies on “harassment,” “bullying,” and “bias” are so vague and overbroad as to prompt students to limit their speech out of fear that they might be subject to disciplinary sanction, including “individual education” or “restorative justice” at the hands of the University’s Bias Response Team. The United States’ Statement of Interest argues that the University of Michigan’s Statement of Student Rights and Responsibilities, which prohibits “harassment,” “bullying,” and “bias,” is unconstitutional because it offers no clear, objective definitions of the violations. Instead, the Statement refers students to a wide array of “examples of various interpretations that exist for the terms,” many of which depend on a listener’s subjective reaction to speech. The United States also argues that the University’s Bias Response Policy chills protected speech through its Bias Response Team. The Bias Response Team, which consists of University administrators and law enforcement officers, has the authority to subject students to discipline and sanction. It encourages students to report any suspected instances of bias, advising them: “[t]he most important indication of bias is your own feelings.” According to the plaintiff, the Bias Response Team has responded to more than 150 alleged incidents of bias in the last year. In filing the Statement of Interest, Acting Associate Attorney General Jesse Panuccio provided the following statement: “Freedom of speech and expression on the American campus are under attack. This Justice Department, under the leadership of Attorney General Jeff Sessions, is committed to promoting and defending Americans’ first freedom at public universities.” This is the fourth Statement of Interest filed by the Department of Justice in a First Amendment case under Attorney General Jeff Sessions. The first was filed on Sept. 26, 2017 in Uzuegbunam v. Preczewski, the second was filed on Oct. 24, 2017 in Shaw v. Burke, and the third was filed on January 25 in Young America’s Foundation and Berkeley College Republicans v. Janet Napolitano. In the case at hand in Michigan was summed up in an op-ed by Nicole Neily the president of Speech First, a membership association that defends students’ free speech rights on campus, published in the Hill: Michigan complements its code with something called a bias response team, a system that encourages fellow students who overhear comments (even ones taken out of context, between friends) to report offensive language to administrators, which is then tracked and publicly shared on the school’s website as a visible reminder of the student body’s various sins. Incidents are investigated, potentially subjecting students whose speech offends another student to punishment by process. Depending on the outcome, he or she may be sent for “restorative justice” — a benign euphemism for a modern-day reeducation camp — to atone for the thought crime in question. But even if he or she is exonerated, the stigma of going through such a process, as well as the distraction from his/her studies and the burden imposed on his/her time, serves to significantly deter students from expressing ideas outside the mainstream. Regardless of your positions on issues, we should all fear this type of selective thought and word-policing and the encouragement that in the real world it would be acceptable. Schools can’t force tolerance and decency on people. Nor should they be able to implement subjective rules to force alternative views and ban, or prohibit, the expression of dissenting views in the name of “bias.” Imagine the ways in which such subjective criteria could be used as a weapon to silence anyone at any time based on personal preferences of the listener. It is frightening that places of higher education where young adults should be encouraged to express themselves freely and to learn to approach conflict in a positive way and figure out outcomes themselves, administrators would implement such restrictive policies. If a student overhears something that they take offense to they have options A) Walk away or B) Respectfully confront the person talking. That’s what happens everyday in public places throughout our nation. No safe spaces needed. No infringing on one’s rights. There are still issues in our communities that are very controversial. I struggle with how I will talk with and what I will teach my children about the transgender community. I don’t come from a place of hate, or ignorance, or bigotry, but I do favor science and I believe strongly that you can’t simply declare your gender different than what your genetics say. My views are shaped by scientific research and my religion and were I to go back to school and find myself in an environment of discussion I should hope my thoughts would be as welcome as those opposed to mine. I would expect, if not demand, that my constitutional rights give me the ability to respectfully discuss my views without fear of disciplinary action. I wrote about an extreme version this campus censoring in a post about University of Alabama student Harley Barber, being forced out due to a video which included racist views. While her comments were certainly out of line and reprehensible, making her a pariah wasn’t the best course of action. Barber, like many others in college do at some point in early adulthood, spoke and acted from a place of ignorance. She just happened to do so in a racist way
Devin Nunes threatens Jeff Sessions with contempt charges over Russia
House Intelligence Committee Chairman Devin Nunes is threatening to hold Attorney General Jeff Sessions in contempt of Congress for failing to hand over classified materials related to the Russia investigation. Nunes phoned into Fox & Friends Sunday to explain that two weeks ago, he sent Sessions a classified letter demanding “very important” documents regarding counterintelligence investigations. He claims he was ignored. Then, last week, he sent a subpoena for the information. “On Thursday, we discovered that they are not going to comply with our subpoena on very important information that we need,” Nunes explained, adding, “The only thing left to do is we have to move quickly to hold the attorney general of the United States in contempt and that is what I will press for this week.” The Department of Justice (DOJ) pushed back on Sunday, and released a letter they sent to Nunes on Thursday, May 3, which addressed the classified information Nunes had requested.According to the letter, Nunes had asked for information on a specific individual, that the DOJ considers to be a very valuable person for a counterintelligence operation. “The Department has determined that, consistent with applicable law and longstanding Executive Branch policy, it is not in a position to provide information responsive to your request regarding a specific individual,” Assistant Attorney General Stephen Boyd wrote in a signed letter. “Disclosure of responsive information to such requests can risk severe consequences, including potential loss of human lives, damage to relationships with valued international partners, compromise of ongoing criminal investigations, and interference with intelligence activities.” Boyd continued, “The Department and its intelligence community partners would welcome the opportunity to discuss whether there are other ways to accommodate the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence’s oversight inquiry.”
Martha Roby: It’s about time
Congress was recently informed by Department of Justice officials of their intention to follow up on calls to investigate the appalling practice of abortion providers harvesting and trafficking fetal organs for profit. It’s about time. As you may remember, in July of 2015, senior Planned Parenthood officials were caught on camera discussing how abortion procedures could be systematically altered in order to preserve certain organs so they could be sold to researchers. One described in disturbing terms how a person performing an abortion could “crush” here and “crush” there, being careful to preserve certain body parts because they are valuable on the research market. Another discussed developing a kind of menu for organs and how lucrative these arrangements could be. It was sick, callous, and completely inhuman. It also happens to be against the law. The purchase and sale of human fetal tissue is prohibited by federal law, as is altering the timing or method of an abortion to gain material for research. Planned Parenthood has claimed that its abortion clinics only collect “tissue” legally for research purposes and that any payments are simply cost reimbursements. However, the menu and price scheme discussed on camera strongly suggest a competitive market at play, and it was clear that officials were willing to alter abortion procedures in order to preserve certain in-demand organs. Planned Parenthood also later reversed its policy and stopped clinics from accepting payments for tissue – a change that seems unnecessary if they weren’t doing anything wrong. Several of my colleagues and I immediately called for an investigation into these disturbing revelations. Unfortunately, our demands fell on deaf ears. Even after multiple congressional committees referred their own investigations to the authorities at the Department of Justice, then-Attorney General Loretta Lynch declined to pursue an investigation. At the time, I said it was disappointing, but hardly surprising. It’s no secret that Planned Parenthood throws around considerable political weight in Washington. In this country, no one is above the law. That’s why I was so very pleased to receive word that the Department of Justice, now under the leadership of Attorney General Jeff Sessions, appears to be following up on the evidence and taking our calls for an investigation seriously. In a letter to the Senate Judiciary Committee, Assistant Attorney General Stephen Boyd, who I’m proud to say was formerly my Chief of Staff, requested un-redacted documents from the Committee’s investigation into the suspected harvesting and trafficking of fetal tissue. Assistant Attorney General Boyd said for now the documents are being used for investigative purposes only, and a formal resolution may be required for further proceedings, such as a grand jury. I appreciate the Department’s attention to this matter, and I can say for certain that I won’t be the only one watching this closely. When the terrible videos first surfaced in 2015, I went directly to the House floor and spoke out to raise awareness about this outrageous activity. Someone later told me that I was the first person to speak on the floor about the scandal. Let me be clear: If I have to, I will be the last. I said then, “I promise… we are not done talking about this.” I am pleased that with the new leadership at the Department of Justice, that has proven to be true. I’ll keep you informed as we learn more about this investigation. ••• Martha Roby represents Alabama’s Second Congressional District. She lives in Montgomery, Alabama with her husband Riley and their two children.
Jeff Sessions vows ‘proper’ action on possible Hillary Clinton investigation
Attorney General Jeff Sessions offered testimony to lawmakers on Capitol Hill Tuesday, where he pushed back on requests to immediately appoint a special counsel to investigate Hillary Clinton and the Clinton Foundation, saying said the Department of Justice (DOJ) still needs to “study what the facts are” before taking action. “I would say ‘looks like’ is not enough basis to appoint a special counsel,” Sessions told Ohio-Republican Rep. Jim Jordan at the House Judiciary Committee when he was asked why the DOJ has yet to appoint special counsel when it “looks like” wrongdoing took place. Sessions, however, did not, rule out that a special counsel could be appointed should the proper standards were met. Jordan’s questions came in the wake of a Monday night response to an inquiry made by Judiciary Committee Chairman Robert Goodlatte. In a letter, the department revealed it was weighing proposals to name an special independent counsel to investigate the FBI’s handling of the probe into Hillary Clinton‘s use of a personal email server for official and classified business. The DOJ also confirmed it was contemplating a probe into the foundation of former president Bill Clinton and its ties to companies involved selling US uranium rights to a Russian state company. While he did not have an immediate decision, Sessions promised the committee he would decide quickly whether or not to take account. “Do I have your assurance that these matters will proceed fairly and expeditiously?” Goodlatte inquired. “Yes, you can, Mr. Chairman, and you can be sure that they will be done without political influence and they will be done correctly and properly,” Sessions answered. “We will make only decisions that are right and just and not going to use the department to unlawfully advance political agenda.” Trump has repeatedly criticized his Justice Department for not aggressively investigating Clinton. He said recently officials there “should be looking at the Democrats and that it was “very discouraging” they were not “going after Hillary Clinton.” He also went on record saying the “saddest thing is that because I’m the president of the United States, I am not supposed to be involved with the Justice Department. I am not supposed to be involved with the FBI.”
Kay Ivey awards $1.3 million to establish new statewide Drug Task Force
Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey is convening a new drug task force that will operate throughout the state in cooperation with local and state law enforcement agencies. Ivey has awarded grants totaling $1.3 million to establish the Alabama Drug Enforcement Task Force. The grant funds will help provide overtime for officers, pay for travel and training for agents, operational expenses and needed equipment. The total task force will comprise more than 90 officers from more than 40 agencies and will operate alongside 25 narcotics agents from the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency forming seven regional multi-jurisdictional offices. These units will share resources with a unified goal of reducing the impact of drugs and dismantling drug organizations in Alabama. “The illegal manufacturing, trafficking and sale of narcotics in Alabama is a problem for every part of the state and should be dealt with accordingly,” Ivey said. “Through combined efforts and statewide cooperation, this new task force will allow local police, sheriff’s offices and district attorneys to work together with state police and investigators to remove more of this dangerous element from our communities.” The Alabama Department of Economic and Community Affairs is administering the grants from funds made available by the U.S. Department of Justice. ADECA administers a wide range of programs that support law enforcement, economic development, infrastructure upgrades, recreation, energy conservation, water resources management, job training and career development. “I share Gov. Ivey’s commitment to combating the illegal drug trade in our state and am glad to lend ADECA’s support in establishing this new task force,” said ADECA Director Kenneth Boswell. “I commend the participating law enforcement agencies for their commitment and hard work to make Alabama a safer place to live and work.” Each of the seven regional offices that make up the task force are receiving a $193,235 grant. These regional offices are listed below by administering agency and counties they cover: City of Atmore: Baldwin, Choctaw, Clarke, Conecuh, Escambia, Mobile, Monroe and Washington counties Butler County Commission: Barbour, Butler, Coffee, Covington, Crenshaw, Dale, Geneva, Henry, Houston and Pike counties Marengo County Commission: Bibb, Dallas, Greene, Hale, Marengo, Perry, Pickens, Sumter, Tuscaloosa and Wilcox counties Chambers County Commission: Autauga, Bullock, Chambers, Chilton, Coosa, Elmore, Lee, Lowndes, Macon, Montgomery, Russell and Tallapoosa counties. Winston County Commission: Colbert, Fayette, Franklin, Lamar, Lauderdale, Lawrence, Marion, Walker and Winston counties City of Cullman: Blount, Cherokee, Cullman, Dekalb, Etowah, Jackson, Limestone, Madison, Marshall and Morgan counties Randolph County Commission: Calhoun, Clay, Cleburne, Jefferson, Randolph, Shelby, St. Clair and Talladega counties
Terri Sewell holds Speak Out, introduces legislation to restore Voting Rights Act
Four years after the Supreme Court’s decision to roll back provisions of Voting Rights Act, Alabama 7th District U.S. Rep. Terri Sewell and a handful of her House colleagues congregated outside of the U.S. Capitol on Thursday for a Speak Out to introduce legislation to restore protections for voters in states with a recent history of discrimination. According to Sewell, H.R. 2978: the Voting Rights Advancement Act (VRAA) addresses a wave of voter ID laws, racial gerrymandering, and other voter suppression tactics enacted at the state level. “Today, I’m introducing the Voting Rights Advancement Act because I believe that the right to vote is one of the most fundamental rights in our democracy,” said Sewell. “As state after state create new barriers to the polls, our work to prevent discrimination and protect the rights of all voters has taken on a new urgency. The time to restore the vote is now.” Sewell continued, “On the eve of the 50th anniversary of the signing of the Voting Rights Act of 1965, I urge my colleagues to recommit ourselves to restoring the promise of voter equality. We cannot silence any voices in our electorate. Our nation will cease to be a democracy if we limit access to voting.” The VRAA seeks to restore full protections to the Voting Rights Act of 1965. If passed, 13 states nationwide would be subject to federal election oversight due to a recent history of voter discrimination. It would also require states with a recent history of voter discrimination to seek approval from the Department of Justice before making any changes to their electoral laws. “We know that we stand on the shoulders of amazing people. We know that we have the rights and freedoms that we enjoy because of other’s sacrifice. And we know that freedom is not free. So it’s important that we amplify our voices,” Sewell added at the Speak Out. “I’m asking millennials to use snapchat and all of the other social media that you have to amplify your voices to get your generation involved. So here’s the thing, your vote is your vote. And if you allow your vote to be suppressed, you’re allowing your voice to be suppressed.” Reps. John Lewis, Judy Chu, Michelle Lujan Grisham, James Clyburn, Joseph Crowley, Sen. Patrick Leahy, NAACP Washington Bureau Director Hilary Shelton, The Leadership Conference President Vanita Gupta, ACLU Political Director Faiz Shakir, and AAJC Director of Census and Voting Programs Terry Ao Minnis were also in attendance. Watch Sewell’s live-stream of the event below:
Martha Roby’s former Chief of Staff nominated Assistant Attorney General
If University of Alabama School of Law graduate and Birmingham-native Stephen Boyd has any luck, his resume will grow bit longer this spring Boyd, who joined Attorney General Jeff Sessions team as the Chief of Staff in Office of Legal Policy at the Department of Justice (DOJ) back in February, was nominated by President Donald Trump on Tuesday to serve as Assistant U.S. Attorney General under Jeff Sessions. Prior to his time with the DOJ Boyd served as the longtime Chief of Staff to Alabama 2nd District U.S. Representative Martha Roby, a position he assumed when Roby was first sworn into office in January 2011. U.S. Representative Martha Roby (R-Ala.) today congratulated her former chief of staff Stephen Boyd on his nomination to serve as an Assistant Attorney General of the United States. Boyd served as Roby’s top adviser for more than six years and recently joined Attorney General Jeff Sessions at the Department of Justice. His nomination by President Trump was submitted Tuesday and now awaits confirmation by the Senate. “There is no one better suited to serve our country in this key role than Stephen Boyd. Stephen possesses a keen intellect, conducts himself with the utmost professionalism and decorum, and he works extremely hard,” Roby said of Boyd’s nomination. “Above all, the primary reason he is so well suited for this important role is this: Stephen Boyd will do the right thing. I join his wife Brecke and his parents Ron and Floranne in celebrating this special achievement.” Prior to launching Roby’s congressional office, Boyd served as Communications Director for both then-U.S. Senator Sessions and the Senate Committee on the Judiciary. Alabama U.S. Sen. Richard Shelby echoed Roby’s approval of Trump’s nominee. “Stephen is well-respected across the state of Alabama and is known for his ability to reach across the aisle and get things done,” said Shelby. “President Trump has made a great pick in nominating someone with Stephen’s level of integrity and character for this esteemed position.” Boyd currently awaits confirmation by the U.S. Senate.
Jeff Sessions’ Justice Dep’t will end forensic science commission
Attorney General Jeff Sessions said Monday he is ending an Obama-era partnership with independent scientists that aimed to improve the reliability of forensic science, as longstanding concerns remain about the quality of such evidence in court cases. The Justice Department will not renew the National Commission on Forensic Science, a panel of judges, defense attorneys, researchers and law enforcement officials that had been advising the attorney general on the use of scientific evidence in the criminal justice process. The department will instead appoint an in-house adviser and create an internal committee to study improvements to forensic analysis, Sessions said. Their tasks will include a broad look at the personnel and equipment needs of overburdened crime labs. “As we decide how to move forward, we bear in mind that the department is just one piece of the larger criminal justice system,” said Sessions in a statement, adding that most forensic science is done by state and local laboratories and used by local prosecutors. The Obama administration formed the commission in 2013 to address wide-ranging concerns about problematic forensic techniques. The Justice Department also is reconsidering an effort launched last year to review forensic sciences practiced by the FBI. That review sought to determine whether other scientific disciplines have been tainted by flawed testimony, a problem that surfaced in 2015 when the Justice Department revealed that experts had overstated the strength of their evidence in many older cases dating back decades involving microscopic hair analysis. The disbanding of the commission was yet another way in which Sessions is shifting away from his Obama-era predecessors, who pushed for changes in forensic science and tried to establish federal standards. Last year, for example, acting on the commission’s recommendations, the Justice Department announced a new code of professional responsibility for its forensic science laboratories and also cautioned its examiners and prosecutors to use restraint in discussing the strength of their findings, among other standards. Sessions, who frequently articulates a tough-on-crime agenda, called the availability of accurate forensic analysis “critical to integrity in law enforcement, reducing violent crime and increasing public safety.” He said the Justice Department would seek public comment on how to improve crime labs and “strengthen the foundations of forensic science.” The National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers said it was disappointed by the move. Association President Barry Pollack said the commission was important because it allowed “unbiased expert evaluation of which techniques are scientifically valid and which are not.” Republished with permission of The Associated Press.
Martha Roby: Progress on combating child exploitation
Serving on the Judiciary Committee gives me the opportunity to play a role in combating child exploitation in the United States and abroad. This is an issue I’m particularly passionate about, and I’m pleased to report that some important progress is being made. Before I go further, let me say this: sexual crimes against children are shocking and ugly, which is what makes this subject difficult to talk about sometimes. Most Americans probably do not know the extent to which children in our country and around the globe are at risk of exploitation. That’s what makes it so important that we talk about this horrible subject and address the problem head on. I recently met with experts from the Department of Justice to discuss how unintended loopholes in current law allow child predators to evade prosecution for certain abuses. Certain types of sexual contact with children are not explicitly covered under the criminal definition of “illicit sexual conduct.” This allows child predators engaged in global sex tourism to evade punishment for acts that are clearly abusive. Additionally, current sentencing code does not treat contact offenses against child victims under the age of 12 the same as it does those against victims between the ages of 12-18. Though unintentional, these loopholes are harmful and unacceptable, which is why I introduced legislation to fix these technical flaws and better equip law enforcement to protect children and punish abusers. My bill, the Global Child Protection Act, specifically would expand the criminal definition of “illicit sexual conduct” to include “sexual contact,” thus allowing authorities to crack down on global sex tourism and punish these criminals. The bill also seeks to protect the youngest child victims by broadening the sentencing code to ensure that all types of contact offenses against children of all ages are treated with the same level of seriousness. Last week, the Judiciary Committee met to consider the Global Child Protection Act. As I told my colleagues, it is our enduring responsibility to protect those among us who often cannot protect themselves. We have law enforcement professionals working hard every day to protect children and punish abusers, and we need to ensure they have all legal tools at their disposal to do their job. After discussion and debate, the Judiciary Committee voted to pass my bill and send it to the full House of Representatives for a vote. I’m really proud of the measures my bill would accomplish, but it’s just one part of a slate of Judiciary Committee bills aimed to combat these crimes against children. Last week the Committee also approved H.R. 1842, the Strengthening Children’s Safety Act. This bill enhances penalties for sex offenders who fail to register in the national sex offender registry when they have a prior state conviction for a violent crime. The Judiciary Committee also recently passed the Adam Walsh Reauthorization Act, the Child Protection Improvements Act, and the Targeting Child Predators Act. These bills aim to stop child predators and sex offenders from joining youth organizations by ensuring investigators have the ability to conduct proper background checks on potential staff and volunteers. I’m excited to be working on the Judiciary Committee because it has jurisdiction over several issues I’m passionate about. I’m really proud of the Committee’s quick progress to address some of these unspeakable problems facing the most vulnerable members of our society. ••• Martha Roby represents Alabama’s Second Congressional District. She lives in Montgomery, Alabama with her husband Riley and their two children.
Jeff Sessions recuses himself from Russia inquiry
Attorney General Jeff Sessions on Thursday recused himself from overseeing any federal investigation into charges that Russia interfered in the 2016 presidential election. Speaking at a Department of Justice press conference, the former Alabama Senator said he was following the advice of his staff. “I have now decided to recuse myself from any existing or future investigations of any matter relating in any way to the campaign for president of the United States,” Sessions said. “This announcement should not be interpreted as confirmation of the existence of any investigation or suggestive of the scope of any such investigation.” “They said that since I had involvement with the campaign, I should not be involved in any campaign investigation,” he added. Moving forward, the department’s second-highest ranking official, the deputy attorney general will ll handle all campaign-related investigations. For now that’s long-time federal prosecutor, Acting Deputy Attorney General Dana Boente. Boente will serve in the position until President Donald Trump’s permanent nominee for the post, Rod Rosenstein, has him confirmation hearing on March 7. On Wednesday, Sessions came under intense fire following a Washington Post report that claimed he spoke with Russian Ambassador Sergey Kislyak during the presidential campaign, then denied any meetings under oath during his confirmation hearing. The White House is standing behind Sessions and his decision.
