[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 162 (2016), Part 12]
[Senate]
[Pages 16421-16422]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                         TRIBUTE TO AYO GRIFFIN

  Mr. WHITEHOUSE. Mr. President, for many years, the Judiciary 
Committee and the Senate have been well served by the distinguished 
service of Ayo Griffin. Ayo is a talented lawyer and a principled 
public servant, respected and admired by his peers, who has ably guided 
some of my most significant legislative initiatives.
  Ayo's career has always demonstrated what Victor Hugo called 
``conscience in the service of justice.'' By the time Ayo joined my 
Judiciary Committee staff in 2011, he had already taken on difficult 
work conducting foreign corruption investigations in private practice. 
He had volunteered with human rights litigation and anticorruption 
training in Cambodia. In the important tradition of making legal aid 
available to all people, even unpopular defendants, he had represented 
pro bono detainees at the Guantanamo Bay Naval Base detention center in 
Cuba.
  Here in the Senate, Ayo took on legislation to improve our prisons 
and strengthen law enforcement, to prevent

[[Page 16422]]

domestic violence and sexual assault, to reform our immigration regime, 
to curb gun violence, and to undo the damage done to our campaign 
finance system by the Citizens United Supreme Court decision. In the 
wake of the flood of secret money unleashed by Citizens United, Ayo 
helped me craft the DISCLOSE Act to require groups spending large 
amounts to influence our elections to identify their donors and to 
prevent corporations and other wealthy interests from using shell 
corporations to funnel secret money to super PACs.
  Ayo worked closely with good governance advocates, campaign finance 
experts, and our colleagues here in Congress to build a strong 
coalition behind the legislation. When Republicans blocked the 
legislation from proceeding in 2012, Ayo helped me coordinate a 
midnight vigil, with the bill's Democratic sponsors holding the Senate 
floor into the morning hours until we secured a vote on the measure. In 
the end, the DISCLOSE Act twice won support from a majority of Senators 
in votes before this body. Ayo's contribution to that effort not only 
channeled a groundswell of popular support, but shone a bright light on 
an issue at the very heart of our democracy.
  Today Ayo is facing a much different challenge. Some time ago, he was 
diagnosed with a rare form of brain cancer, requiring intensive 
therapy. He has tackled his treatment with signature determination, 
working intently with his specialists and therapists to stay ahead of 
the disease. His wife, Mary Dewhurst, has shown great love and courage 
through this trying time and is Ayo's steadfast partner in every 
winding step of their journey.
  ``You must work very hard,'' Maurice Ravel once wrote to a fellow 
composer, ``because someone who is gifted must work harder than someone 
who is not.'' I am grateful for both the ample gifts and hard work of 
Ayo Griffin.
  I thank Ayo for his faithful service. My entire staff and I offer our 
unending support. And I wish him and Mary health and much happiness in 
their days to come.

                          ____________________