AYKM?
‘Unqualified Trump Loyalist’: Experts Weigh in on Appointment of Stephen Miller Ally to Be Top Lawyer at DHS
President Donald Trump has installed Chad Mizelle, an attorney tied to top White House advisor Stephen Miller, to run the Dept. of Homeland Security’s Office of the General Counsel. Miller is largely seen as an anti-immigrant extremist and white nationalist. Mizelle has been an attorney for under 10 years, and will now be in charge of 2500 other attorneys, as CNN reports.
An unverified Twitter account under the name of Chad Mizelle, which includes tweets about Cornell University, his alma mater, shows a Chad Mizelle retweeted a Federalist Society tweet quoting attorney Charles Cooper that says: “Requiring complete diversity may well be unconstitutional.” Cooper has represented Jeff Sessions, John Bolton, and John Ashcroft.
Mizelle also retweeted this from Cardinal Timothy Dolan:
CNN reports American Oversight Executive Director Austin Evers “said the qualities the Trump administration values the most are loyalty and an ability to push through its political agenda.”
“By putting a lawyer with little overall experience and no direct experience, it is reasonable to conclude that his qualifications are just those things — loyalty to the President and the ability to carry out Stephen Miller’s agenda,” Evers added.
Mizelle is yet another political appointee who “will be replacing a career official,” CNN adds, noting Mizelle “filled the void left after the previous Senate-confirmed general counsel, John Mitnick, was fired in September — months after Miller wanted him out.”
Former Special Counsel at the Dept. of Defense, Ryan Goodman, calls Mizelle “unqualified and a Trump loyalist.”
17. Add to the list, Trump’s appointing Stephen Miller ally, Chad Mizelle as acting General Counsel for DHS.👇
Widely viewed as unqualified and a Trump loyalist.https://t.co/EgpByLAhYm https://t.co/pSOw4UBiU5
— Ryan Goodman (@rgoodlaw) February 12, 2020
The nonpartisan oversight watchdog American Oversight, unsurprisingly – given Mizelle’s ties to Miller – says it is “seeking communications of [DHS Acting Deputy Secretary] Ken Cuccinelli and Chad Mizelle with anti-immigration groups.”
We’ve been investigating links between senior Trump DHS officials and anti-immigrant groups. Last month, we filed a new FOIA for communications between Chad Mizelle, the incoming DHS general counsel, and groups including FAIR and CIS. https://t.co/HCO5ptTCjc pic.twitter.com/IAHKWgt7gm
— American Oversight (@weareoversight) February 12, 2020
American Immigration Council Policy Counsel Aaron Reichlin-Melnick is expressing concern:
Chad Mizelle has been a lawyer for just 6 years, one more than me.
I wouldn’t trust myself, or any other attorney with that amount of experience, to make binding legal decisions for an agency which affects the lives of millions.
He’s now Acting DHS General Counsel. https://t.co/hQcX1E0e55
— Aaron Reichlin-Melnick (@ReichlinMelnick) February 12, 2020
University of Michigan Law asst. professor:
look, i’m sure they just want to put chad mizelle, a lawyer with less than 10 years experience, as the head lawyer at DHS to …. *checks notes* … better enforce the voting rights act? https://t.co/LR4wUEhVuV
— Leah Litman (@LeahLitman) February 12, 2020
Enjoy this piece?
… then let us make a small request. The New Civil Rights Movement depends on readers like you to meet our ongoing expenses and continue producing quality progressive journalism. Three Silicon Valley giants consume 70 percent of all online advertising dollars, so we need your help to continue doing what we do.
NCRM is independent. You won’t find mainstream media bias here. From unflinching coverage of religious extremism, to spotlighting efforts to roll back our rights, NCRM continues to speak truth to power. America needs independent voices like NCRM to be sure no one is forgotten.
Every reader contribution, whatever the amount, makes a tremendous difference. Help ensure NCRM remains independent long into the future. Support progressive journalism with a one-time contribution to NCRM, or click here to become a subscriber. Thank you. Click here to donate by check.