WASHINGTON – The White House condemned three Republican senators for what they considered “brutal and Islamophobic attacks” against Biden’s judicial nominee, who would become the first Muslim American judge to serve in federal office. if approved, he applies to the appeals court.
US Senators Ted Cruz of Texas, Josh Hawley of Missouri and Tom Cotton of Arkansas have been specifically subpoenaed for “harmful” questioning of District Court nominee Adeel Mangin’s views on the October 7 terrorist attack in Israel by Hamas militants. his December confirmation hearing. This reason a a wider attack from the Judicial Crisis Network, a conservative trial advocacy organization.
“While serving on the Mangi advisory board, [Rutgers Law School Center for Security, Race, and Rights] taught students to hate Israel and America and to support global terrorism by blaming America for the 9/11 terrorist attacks — and most recently, on October 7, Hamas blamed Israel for the terrorist attack,” the group wrote in a statement released Monday.
The White House said that the conservatives’ criticism was based on Islamophobia.
“Mr. Mangi has faced unique hostile attacks in a way that no other candidate has — precisely because of his Muslim faith,” White House spokesman Andrew Bates told NBC News in a statement first shared with NBC News. “Senators Cruz, Hawley and Cotton should apologize to Mr. Mangi.”
“He represents the best of America, and if confirmed, Mr. Mangi will not only make history, but he will be an outstanding judge,” Bates added.
The senators told NBC News they oppose Mangi’s nomination, with Cotton’s spokesman accusing him of “anti-Semitic connections,” Cruz’s spokesman saying the White House “cannot defend Adeel Mangi’s record,” and Hawley’s spokesman saying. “People who advise terrorist campus groups have no place on the federal bench,” Mangi said.
All three cited Mangin’s involvement with Rutgers Law School’s Center on Security, Race and Rights and criticized the decision to hold the event on the 20th anniversary of the 9/11 terrorist attacks. he begged guilty 2006 conspiracy to provide services to the Palestinian Islamic Jihad.
The Biden administration is under pressure to improve its standing with the Muslim and Arab American communities after vocal support for Israel in its war against Hamas in Gaza.
President Joe Biden appointed Mangini to the 3rd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Philadelphia last fall.
The Anti-Defamation League, which fights against anti-Semitism, Mangi said was “subjected to aggressive questioning unrelated to his professional experience or qualifications,” and he criticized Republican senators for “harassing” Mangin with “endless questions that seemed biased against his religion.”
“This was an attempt to create controversy where none existed,” the ADL said last month.
A few weeks later, the Judicial Crisis Network launched a digital ad campaign against Mangi, claiming he was anti-Semitic and “radical”.
White House spokesman Bates wrote: “Mr. “Mangi strongly and repeatedly condemned anti-Semitism, terrorism and the October 7 terrorist attacks.”
At the hearing, Cruz repeatedly asked Mangi whether he condemned the atrocities of Hamas terrorists and whether there was “any justification for those atrocities.”
“I have no patience — none — for attempts to justify or defend these events,” Mangi said in December, referring to the Oct. 7 attacks.
Non-profit groups dedicated to the fight against Islamophobia in the United States have also come out in defense of Mangi.
“The deplorable smear campaign against him is filled with Islamophobic tropes that have no place in our country,” America Indivisible CEO Arsalan Suleman told NBC News. “The Senate should confirm Mr. Mangin as soon as possible and condemn these vile and bogus attacks.”
So far, 177 of Biden’s nominees for federal judgeships have been confirmed. More than 65% are women and 65% are people of color, according to the White House.
Biden nominated nominees including Ketanji Brown Jackson, the first black woman to the U.S. Supreme Court, and Congress has confirmed more black women to lifetime federal judgeships than any previous administration, according to the White House.
Although Mangi has cleared the Democratic-led Senate Judiciary Committee process, it is unclear when his nomination will come up for a vote in the next procedural step before a confirmation vote.
If he is confirmed, Mangi will become only the third Muslim American federal judge ever.
Mangi has served on the Board of Directors of the Muslim Bar Association of New York, the Legal Aid Society of New York and Muslims for Progressive Values, and as an allied board member of the National LGBT Bar Association. biographical page at the law firm of Patterson Belknap Webb & Tyler LLP, where he is a partner.