Remember when Senator Kamala Harris had Attorney General Jeff Sessions shook during a congressional hearing? Well, the heat is on Sessions once again — this time due to the lack of diversity within his Justice Department.
According to the Philadelphia Tribune, Cedric Richmond, Chairman of the Congressional Black Caucus (CBC) questioned Sessions' dedication to diversity at the House judiciary committee hearing on this week.
During questioning, Sessions had to admit that he didn't have any black staff members in key positions.
"I do not have a senior staff member at this time that's an African American," Sessions said, but added that he recommended African Americans during his time serving in Alabama.
Richmond laid it all on the table, citing research that shows that 91 percent of the Trump administration's judicial nominees have been white males, and that only one U.S. attorney nominee has been African American.
"I'm not aware of the numbers," Sessions responded. "But we should look for quality candidates, and I think diversity is a matter that has significance."
Richmond also went in on Sessions concerning the crack sentencing over the past few decades, compared to the current attitudes towards the opioid problem.
"How does an outside observer reconcile how we treated crack, which led to mass incarceration, which now with an epidemic we're losing thousands and thousands of people a year and we're treating it with hugs and kisses and treatment as opposed to 'tough on crime, lock 'em up?'" Richmond asked. "How do I reconcile that and not conclude that the only difference is race and income?"
"The federal court focuses on serious offenders, not users," Sessions responded, also noting that the government would not pursue "mass incarceration."
However, Sessions has used his power as attorney general to ensure that the federal government continues to subcontract out its prisons to for-profit prison corporations, which have a vested financial interest in pursuing mass incarceration.
Rep. Karen Bass also pressed Sessions about the recent FBI report that said there exist radical black domestic security threats called "black identity extremists," alluding to groups such as Antifa and the Black Lives Matter movement as examples.
Sessions claimed that he neither ordered not read the report. "I am aware that there are groups that do have an extraordinary commitment to their racial identity," said Sessions. "And some have transformed themselves even into violent activists."
Bass then asked if there was a similar report for "white identity extremists" or white supremacists.
Sessions said he was not aware of such report, but assured that the Justice Department "will not unlawfully target people."
