THREAD: Tom Farr is nominated to a district court seat that’s been vacant for 12 years because Republicans refused to confirm anyone for the entire Obama administration. Obama nominated two highly-qualified African-American women to this very seat.
Republicans used their blue slips to block these nominees and hold open the seat for over a decade. Now, President Trump has nominated Tom Farr, who has a long history of opposition to voting rights. He’s been a leader in suppression of African-American voters in North Carolina.
Farr was a part of a campaign that mailed 120,000 postcards almost exclusively to African-American voters with false information designed to decrease turnout. When I asked if he was involved he denied any knowledge, but press reports & a DOJ memo outline his efforts at that time.
Mr. Farr has remained active in efforts to depress & dilute African-American voting. In 2013 he defended North Carolina’s congressional & legislative districts, which were redrawn to reduce the power of African-American voters. And in 2016 he defended a restrictive voter ID law.
In both cases the courts disagreed. In fact, in striking down the Voter ID law, the Fourth Circuit said that the law’s requirements “target African Americans with almost surgical precision.”
So there’s good reason the Congressional Black Caucus, the Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights, dozens of other organizations and all 49 Democrats are opposed to Mr. Farr’s nomination. Tom Farr does not belong on a federal court.
