Kennedy, Cotton call on Garland to remove Kristen Clarke from role after false testimony to Congress

MADISONVILLE, La. - Sen. John Kennedy (R-La.), a member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, joined Sen. Tom Cotton (R-Ark.) and colleagues in urging Attorney General Merrick Garland to remove Kristen Clarke, Assistant Attorney General for Civil Rights, from office after giving false testimony to Congress.

"During her nomination to her current role, Ms. Clarke was asked if she had 'ever been arrested for or accused of committing a violent crime against any person.' Ms. Clarke was unequivocal, responding under oath to the Senate Judiciary Committee, 'No.' That was a lie. Ms. Clarke has now admitted that she was arrested in 2006 for attacking and injuring someone with a knife. It has also recently come to light that, shortly before the full Senate voted on her nomination, Ms. Clarke and her publicist contacted the man she attacked in an attempt to cover up her false testimony," the senators wrote.

"Lying to Congress under oath is a felony," they continued.

"The last time you were before the Senate Judiciary Committee, you said, 'The integrity of our legal system is premised on adherence to the rule of law. In order to have confidence in our Department and in our democracy, the American people must be able to trust that we will adhere to the rule of law in everything that we do.' Ms. Clarke does not meet this standard and must be immediately terminated," the senators concluded.

The full letter is available here.