Republicans on the Senate Judiciary Committee want a hearing to investigate how the Department of Justice handled allegations of voter intimidation made against the New Black Panther Party.
The minority, led by Sen. Lindsey Graham, wants to look into allegations of racial bias within the DOJ. The charges come most vocally from J. Christian Adams, a former DOJ lawyer who says the Obama administration purposely drops cases against black defendants, including an NBPP member who stood outside a Philly polling station with a nightstick in 2008.
In their letter to Chairman Patrick Leahy (D-VT), the Judiciary Republicans quoted from Adams’ testimony this month in front of the Commission on Civil Rights.
“If these alarming allegations are true, the Civil Rights Division is actively engaged in widespread politicization and possible corruption,” the letter read.
The commission, which is controlled by conservatives, has been investigating the NBPP case since last fall.
The case has gotten widespread attention recently on conservative blogs and in the mainstream media after Adams — who had a role in the U.S. attorney firings — testified and appeared several times on Fox News.
But, as Greg Sargent points out, the Judiciary Committee already investigated this very case back in April.