Sen. Richard J. Durbin on Sunday defended the record of Supreme Court nominee Ketanji Brown Jackson after Republican criticism of her handling of child pornography cases in judicial and policy roles.
Durbin (D-Ill.), chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, dismissed allegations made last week by Sen. Josh Hawley (R-Mo.) in tweets that claimed “an alarming pattern when it comes to Judge Jackson’s treatment of sex offenders, especially those preying on children.”
Hawley’s claims related to sentencing rulings Jackson made as a federal judge in cases involving people convicted of possessing images of child sexual abuse, as well as stances she took as a member of the U.S. Sentencing Commission, a body charged with reducing sentencing disparities.
“As far as Senator Hawley is concerned, here’s the bottom line: He’s wrong,” Durbin said on ABC News’s “This Week.” “He’s inaccurate and unfair in his analysis. Judge Jackson has been scrutinized more than any person I can think of. This is her fourth time before the Senate Judiciary Committee, and three previous times, she came through with flying colors and bipartisan support.”
Durbin cited independent fact-checkers who have found fault with Hawley’s claims. The Washington Post’s Fact Checker characterized his claims as a “misleading attack,” adding that “the picture that Hawley provides is a selective one that lacks significant context.”
Hawley has denied that he took Jackson’s words out of context.
Durbin also took a swipe at Hawley over his supportive words and gestures toward the mob that attacked the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, in an attempt to block a procedural step in ratifying the election of President Biden.
“This was the man who was fist-bumping the murderous mob that descended on the Capitol on January 6 of last year,” Durbin said of Hawley. “He doesn’t have the credibility he thinks he does.”
Also on “This Week,” Sen. John Barrasso (R-Wyo.) questioned Jackson’s record on criminal justice issues.
“In going through the record, there are some concerns that people have about her being perceived as soft on crime,” Barrasso said. “That’s all going to come out with the hearings, but they’re going to be respectful, they’re going to be thorough, and they’re going to be fair.”
Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) said Sunday that he was disappointed that when he met with Jackson recently, she wouldn’t categorically oppose allowing the president to add more justices to the Supreme Court, referred to as “court-packing.”
“That would have been an easy thing for her to do to defend the integrity of the court. She didn’t do that,” McConnell said on CBS’s “Face the Nation.”
McConnell voted against confirming Jackson to her current position on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit but wouldn’t make a commitment on how he was going to vote on her nomination to the Supreme Court.
“I’m willing to listen to testimony. That’s why we have hearings,” he said.
