We all recall the Black Panther voter intimidation case. We all recall that the Justice (or “JustUs”) department quashed the investigation and probable prosecution early in the Obama Administration. What you may not know is that the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights has been investigating the issue, or trying to investigate the issue, and they have received no cooperation whatsoever from the Obama Administration.
President Obama or Attorney General Eric H. Holder Jr. should declare publicly whether executive privilege has been invoked in the Justice Department’s refusal to release documents showing why voter-intimidation charges against the New Black Panther Party were dismissed, says the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights.
Declaring an impasse in negotiations between the commission and the department, Commission Chairman Gerald A. Reynolds said the Justice Department has “repeatedly refused” to provide any basic information regarding the case, instead asserting “vague and generalized privileges” that do not apply.
“The actual basis for the department’s continued refusal to cooperate with the commission remains unclear,” Mr. Reynolds said in a letter last week to Mr. Holder. “For example, has the president invoked executive privilege over the materials that the commission is seeking? If that is the case, the president or the attorney general must so state.
“The department’s continued refusal to provide the requested information will lead to a conflict of interest, whereby the target of the subpoena — the department — can evade its statutory obligation to the commission by refusing to respond to or enforce the commission’s subpoena,” he said.
(source)
If this is accurate, this is a huge deal. The Justice Department quashes an investigation into voter intimidation and civil rights violations, the Commission on Civil Rights investigates, and the Administration invokes Executive Privilege to prevent the Commission from doing due diligence to its duties? Wow. Thatis a real-life conspiracy. What are they covering up? I could speculate, but what is needed is for the Administration to cooperate with the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights. Can you imagine the outcry if the races were reversed? If instead of the Black Panthers it were the Ku Klux Klan and a White Administration were protecting them from prosecution and stonewalling the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights?
It isn’t hard to imagine. It would be very believable to have seen that happen during the Jim Crow era. It is very troubling to see the same behavior out of our so-called post-racial President. Obama must cooperate with the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights. He must. If he does not, then it is incumbent on the Congress to force him to. While this is unlikely to happen with this Congress, things may change dramatically in November. If the Obama Administration is still covering this up, then they must pay a severe price.
Tags: Progressive Hypocrisy
