Katsas Admits Role in Muslim Ban, Other Questionable White House Acts

WASHINGTON, D.C., October 17 – Following Gregory Katsas’s confirmation hearing before the Senate Judiciary Committee, for a seat on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit, AFJ President Nan Aron released the following statement:

“Today before the Senate Judiciary Committee, Gregory Katsas admitted that as Deputy White House Counsel, he had a hand in a raft of unconstitutional, illegal and unethical actions this administration has perpetrated: the repugnant travel ban, the decision to roll back DACA, the creation of the sham ‘election integrity’ commission, the ‘religious liberty’ executive order that threatens to remove contraceptive coverage from employee health plans, and more. Katsas also admitted advising President Trump on issues related to his business conflicts of interest, advice that has done nothing to prevent this President from sliding deeper into a stew of unethical conflicts and likely violations of the Emoluments Clause. At the same time, he dodged key questions about his level of involvement in these issues and in the Russia investigation, leaving vast areas of uncertainty that make it impossible for senators to properly evaluate his record. In short, Katsas did nothing to reassure senators or the American people that as a federal judge he would act as an independent check on the out-of-control schemes of the executive branch, and everything to reinforce the impression that he would continue to enable the activity in which he has apparently been complicit for months.”