LDF Statement on Attorney General Nominee

Read a PDF of our statement here.

Legal Defense Fund (LDF) President and Director Counsel Janai Nelson issued the following statement in response to the President-elect's nomination of Rep. Matt Gaetz to be Attorney General:

"It's hard to imagine a more dangerous choice for the position of Attorney General than Matt Gaetz. The job requires an unwavering commitment to the rule of law and firm allegiance to our democratic institutions. Rep. Gaetz's record has shown his extreme disregard for these sacred principles. He has undermined our democracy and eroded trust in our electoral process by attempting to overturn the 2020 election and spreading disinformation about the January 6 attack on the Capitol. And his efforts to destabilize the House of Representatives in order to enact political revenge raise serious doubts about his ability to keep politics out of the justice system. Rep. Gaetz is unqualified to be our nation's top law enforcement officer, and his appointment would pose a direct threat to the rule of law and the endurance of our democratic institutions."

"At a time when civil rights and liberties and the foundation of our multiracial democracy are under grave attack, the Legal Defense Fund will oppose this nomination vigorously, at every step of the process. We urge all members of the U.S. Senate to take seriously their Constitutional responsibility to check presidential power by rejecting this nomination."

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Legal Defense Fund (LDF) - Founded in 1940, the Legal Defense Fund (LDF) is the nation's first civil rights law organization. LDF's Thurgood Marshall Institute is a multi-disciplinary and collaborative hub within LDF that launches targeted campaigns and undertakes innovative research to shape the civil rights narrative. In media attributions, please refer to us as the Legal Defense Fund or LDF. Please note that LDF has been completely separate from the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) since 1957 - although LDF was originally founded by the NAACP and shares its commitment to equal rights.