Justice Official Questioned about Contentious Remarks
Feature Story by Antoine Morris - 10/31/2007
John Tanner faced tough questioning Oct. 30th from a House Judiciary Subcommittee on his record as head of the Justice Department's voting section and his recent insensitive remarks about minority voters.
In 2005, John Tanner approved Georgia's controversial voter ID law, which was roundly criticized by civil rights advocates for being discriminatory. Not only did four out of the five Justice officials reviewing the law conclude it was not compliant with the Voting Rights Act, but a federal judge also called the measure a modern day poll tax, and declared it unconstitutional.
Proponents of the law argue it's a necessary tool to combat voter fraud despite scant evidence of it occurring in Georgia or nationwide. Civil rights advocates objected to the law because it reduced the number of valid forms of identification from 17 to six, cost $20 to obtain, and needed to be renewed every five years. Such obstacles could lead to fewer elderly, poor, and minority voters voting since they were less likely to have state issued IDs. The ID would essentially become a tool for voter suppression.
At a gathering held by the National Latino Congress a few weeks ago in Los Angeles, California, Tanner claimed the law did not discriminate against minorities because: "Of course, that also ties in with a racial aspect, because our society is such that minorities don't become elderly. The way that white people do. They die first."
At the hearing, Tanner made a half hearted apology for his remarks. "I understand that my explanation of the data came across in a hurtful way, which I deeply regret," Tanner explained.
But Congressman Artur Davis (D-AL) didn't find Tanner's explanation credible. He asked Tanner if he still thought the statement was accurate. Tanner stammered and continued to stumble in answering several other questions.
"You're in charge of enforcing the voting rights laws in this country," said Davis. "If you are basing your conclusions on stereotypes rather than facts, then it suggests to some of us that someone else can do this job better than you can."
Julie Fernandes of the Leadership Conference suggested Tanner's statements reflect a broader trend at the Justice Department. "In recent years, instead of promoting access to the polls, the Voting Section has used its enforcement authority to deny access and promote barriers to block legitimate voters from participating in the political process."
“The work of the Civil Rights Division over the past 50 years has helped to transform our nation into a place where equal opportunity can be more than a dream,” Fernandes stated impassionedly. “We must expect the Civil Rights Division to enforce the nation’s voting rights laws without fear or favor. And we must demand accountability when they don’t.”
