Torture and Perjury:

Imagine if a sitting Supreme Court Justice was involved in discussions about whether the US can imprison people

Without a trial

Without lawyers

And torture them-

And then lied about it

During his own confirmation hearing

<Thread>
When Brett Kavanaugh was nominated to become a judge in 2006, he was asked about his work in the Bush administration. Specifically he was questioned about the treatment of prisoners at Guantanamo Bay. He said he was “not involved in the questions about..detention of combatants.”
Problem is, a year later it came out that he WAS involved in some of these arguments.

How did we get here?

chicagotribune.com/news/nationwor…
Back in 2002, Kavanaugh worked for the Bush White House.

Since this was right after the 9/11 terrorist attack, the Bush administration had to formulate a policy on what how to treat al-Qaida terrorists involved in the deadly plot.

american.edu/spa/news/presi…
Officials began imprisoning people at Guantanamo Bay, but wrestled with the question:

What do we do with them?

Some lawyers argued they could be held indefinitely-with no hearings and no lawyers

That’s ultimately what the White House did.

lawfareblog.com/guantanamo-lit…
During this time Kavanaugh was asked what SCOTUS Justice Kennedy would do; he used to clerk for Kennedy. Reportedly Kavanaugh said Kennedy wouldn’t agree with the policy

But the fact that this conversation occurred came out A YEAR AFTER HE WAS CONFIRMED

theatlantic.com/politics/archi…
Senators Durbin and Leahy were livid about the revelation. Durbin sent Kavanaugh a letter asking him to explain the discrepancy.

Kavanaugh never did.

dailykos.com/story/2018/7/1…
Leahy went further. He referred Kavanaugh for investigation by the Attorney General’s office to determine if Kavanaugh committed perjury. They decided not to pursue it.

politico.com/story/2018/08/…
This is all EXTREMELY troubling. Kavanaugh clearly knew about plans to hold prisoners-including American citizens-without any trial and without the right to counsel.

These are basic rights inscribed in the Constitution.

And he clearly obfuscated.

nytimes.com/2007/07/04/was…
But it gets worse.

In 2004, Kavanaugh was still at the White House when the infamous Torture Memo was released.

This formed the basis for the Attorney General claiming that US officials could torture-yes, torture-Guantanamo detainees.

nytimes.com/ref/internatio…?
There is no evidence to this point that Kavanaugh participated in discussions about torturing detainees. And he denies knowing about it before it went public. But he WAS listed on an email regarding the PR strategy of how to address the memo.

thehill.com/homenews/senat…
So we know he was made aware of how the White House intended to insist that it never considered torturing prisoners.

Despite the fact that its AG found it legal to do so, and they wrote legal opinions about torture.

newrepublic.com/article/150301…
We also know that during the Bush administration prisoners were tortured at both Guantanamo and Abu Ghraib.

Now, this may not have involved Kavanaugh at all.

But there is a claim of Executive Privilege to prevent releasing 100,000 documents.

Why?

nytimes.com/2018/09/01/us/…
Don’t the American people have the right to know if a man being considered for a lifetime appointment to the highest court in the land was involved in discussions about whether we could, or should, torture people?

nytimes.com/2018/07/29/us/…
This is no abstract discussion: IT HAPPENED.

And Kavanaugh was PART OF THE ADMINISTRATION RESPONSIBLE.

That he was there, in a high level position, is concerning.

But BEFORE we put him on the Supreme Court, we need to know if he was involved or not.

abajournal.com/news/article/d…
The current president thought nothing of putting children in cages.

He constantly says things that subvert the rule of law.

He also once opined that we should not only torture suspected terrorists, but attack their FAMILIES as well.

msnbc.com/rachel-maddow-…
Please. Call your senators.

Tell them to postpone this confirmation hearing until the entire record is released.

Because we need to know where Kavanaugh stands.

We cannot give any imprimatur to torture.

Never give up. Never give in.

Always #resist

#LawyersResist #L4GG
Addendum: Sen Booker published memos that show Kavanaugh championed Jay Bybee and John Yoo for appointments as federal judges.

They wrote memos justifying torture of prisoners at Guantanamo.

How closely is Kavanaugh tied to them and their work?

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More from @axidentaliberal

Sep 12, 2018
Billions are being spent to detain immigrants. What a colossal waste on an immoral, hateful policy.

How many in the path of #Florence could that help?

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Think elections don't affect you?

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Aug 24, 2018
UPDATE: Lawyers for Good Government

♦️Project Corazon♦️

More reports from Dilley, Texas

Courtesy of L4GG member Pam Woldow and her husband Doug Richardson

Please support Protect Corazon by texting CORAZON to 91999

lawyersforgoodgovernment.org/project-corazo…

<Thread>
We first thought Dilley isn’t inherently evil-just a large, emotionless machine running on bureaucratic inertia. Now we learn that for some, that’s not true. For them, Dilley is a torture chamber, built to cause the most extraordinary pain and exert devastating control over women
We have yet to see a single drug dealer, gang member or vandal bent on a life of crime in the US. That’s what they’ve risked their lives to escape, not what they intended to bring to America. And yet we expend enormous resources to keep these victims from victimizing us.
Read 11 tweets
Aug 18, 2018
UPDATE:

Lawyers for Good Government’s

♦️Project Corazon♦️

Reports from Dilley, Texas, courtesy of L4GG member Pam Woldow and her husband, Douglas Richardson

To support us, please text CORAZON to 91999

lawyersforgoodgovernment.org/project-corazo…
Men working at Dilley have to tread carefully, because many of their clients’ pains and indignities stem from their oppressed relationships with the men in their lives: abusive husbands, gang members, drunken relatives, indifferent police and government, and snakeheads.
It is therefore no surprise that some of the women receiving Credible Fear Interview preparation are reluctant to have a man sitting in on their prep team, are reluctant to reveal painful intimacies to men whose supportive attitudes and good will may seem foreign to them.
Read 11 tweets
Jul 23, 2018
Would you support a Supreme Court nominee if a Senator asked the Attorney General to investigate that person for perjury?

What if that same nominee thought a president should be free from virtually any scrutiny while in office?

Both are part of Brett Kavanaugh’s record.

Thread
Kavanaugh worked in the Bush White House. Later, he testified at his confirmation hearing to become a federal judge and was asked about his role in the administration’s development of policies involving torture and treatment of detainees. He denied all knowledge and was confirmed
The next year, NPR reports came out which indicated Kavanaugh was indeed aware of these policies. Senator Durbin said “[h]e had to know he was misleading me and the committee and the people who were following this controversial nomination.”

Senator Leahy went further.
Read 14 tweets
Jul 21, 2018
UPDATE: Lawyers for Good Government’s

♦️Project Corazon♦️

to reunite families separated by the Trump administration and providing legal assistance to those seeking asylum.

➡️PLEASE DONATE⬅️

lawyersforgoodgovernment.org/project-corazon
We are now a coalition of 40+ large law firms and non-profit organizations, 6,000+ volunteer lawyers across the country, 2,000+ translators, social services providers, and others, all working together to address not only the immediate family separation crisis and asylum issues.
Last week, we launched our remote legal services project, drafting five "Request for Reinterview" briefs in under 12 hours for mothers who are separated and detained. This week, we are working to help drafting of as many as 350 Motions for Reconsideration for separated parents.
Read 10 tweets
Jul 6, 2018
UPDATES from Lawyers for Good Government

➡️ON THE GROUND IN TEXAS⬅️

to help immigrants through

♦️Project Corazon♦️

and the Lawyers for Good Government Foundation.

Please donate! Any assistance is greatly appreciated.

<Thread>

facebook.com/story.php?stor…
While most of us spent the 4th of July with our families, intrepid Lawyers for Good Government volunteer attorney Veronica Walther was in Texas helping women apply for asylum.

Here is part of her harrowing report /2
I spent all of this Independence Day at #KarnesResidentialCenter Yes, it's a holiday but these women and children do not get a day off from detention so we do not take a day off from helping. There is more than enough work to do. /3
Read 22 tweets

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