Barack Obama 2014-01-01 1 Statement on the Senate's Failure To Confirm Debo P. Adegbile as Assistant Attorney General for Civil Rights March 5, 2014 The Senate's failure to confirm Debo Adegbile to lead the Civil Rights Division at the Department of Justice is a travesty based on wildly unfair character attacks against a good and qualified public servant. Mr. Adegbile's qualifications are impeccable. He represents the best of the legal profession, with wide-ranging experience and the deep respect of those with whom he has worked. His unwavering dedication to protecting every American's civil and constitutional rights under the law--including voting rights--could not be more important right now. And Mr. Adegbile's personal story--rising from adversity to become someone who President Bush's Solicitor General referred to as one of the Nation's most capable litigators--is a story that proves what America has been and can be for people who work hard and play by the rules. As a lawyer, Mr. Adegbile has played by the rules. And now Washington politics have used the rules against him. The fact that his nomination was defeated solely based on his legal representation of a defendant runs contrary to a fundamental principle of our system of justice, and those who voted against his nomination denied the American people an outstanding public servant. Note: The statement referred to former President George W. Bush; former U.S. Solicitor General Paul D. Clement; and Mumia Abu-Jamal, who was convicted for the 1981 murder of Philadelphia, PA, police officer Daniel Faulkner.