(Mark Pellin, Headline USA) Despite the disgustingly brutal and wholly mendacious personal attacks that Democrats and leftists launched against former President Donald Trump’s nominees to the Supreme Court — Justices Brett Kavanaugh and Amy Coney Barrett — a leaked GOP messaging guide is advising Senators to go easy on Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson during her confirmation hearing.
Senators should avoid the “vicious, personal attacks” Democrats leverage at conservative Supreme Court nominees, advised the memo, which was obtained by the Daily Wire.
“We must not fixate on the fact that President Joe Biden first weaponized this process and allowed the Supreme Court confirmation process to become toxic,” the GOP messaging guide continued. “We must remain focused on conducting a thorough and fair process.”
That means focus on Jackson’s “past performance, writings, and rulings,” the guide instructed.
“It is almost certain that the Democrats and their allies in the media will lob false accusations of racism and sexism when uncomfortable questions are asked,” the guide continued.
“The Senate must not be threatened into silence.”
It seems that Sen. Josh Hawley, R-Mo., is taking that directive to heart, although probably not in the manner some of the more squishy members of the Republican Kumbaya Caucus would prefer.
“I’ve been researching the record of Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson, reading her opinions, articles, interviews & speeches,” Hawley tweeted. “I’ve noticed an alarming pattern when it comes to Judge Jackson’s treatment of sex offenders, especially those preying on children.”
Hawley had plenty to share, and let loose a long thread of tweets that torched Jackson’s record.
“Judge Jackson has a pattern of letting child porn offenders off the hook for their appalling crimes, both as a judge and as a policymaker,” Hawley tweeted Wednesday.
“She’s been advocating for it since law school. This goes beyond ‘soft on crime.’ I’m concerned that this a record that endangers our children.”
As far back as her time in law school, Judge Jackson has questioned making convicts register as sex offenders – saying it leads to “stigmatization and ostracism.” She’s suggested public policy is driven by a “climate of fear, hatred & revenge” against sex offenders pic.twitter.com/2QUcPOnWPR
— Josh Hawley (@HawleyMO) March 16, 2022
The myriad examples he cited as part of Jackson’s record is troubling.
It gets worse. As a member of the U.S. Sentencing Commission, Judge Jackson advocated for drastic change in how the law treats sex offenders by eliminating the existing mandatory minimum sentences for child porn
— Josh Hawley (@HawleyMO) March 16, 2022
“Judge Jackson has said that some people who possess child porn ‘are in this for either the collection, or the people who are loners and find status in their participation in the community,'” Hawley tweeted. “What community would that be? The community of child exploiters?
“Judge Jackson has opined there may be a type of ‘less-serious child pornography offender’ whose motivation is not sexual but ‘is the challenge, or to use the technology,'” he wrote.
“A ‘less-serious’ child porn offender?” he asked incredulously.
On the federal bench, Judge Jackson put her troubling views into action. In every single child porn case for which we can find records, Judge Jackson deviated from the federal sentencing guidelines in favor of child porn offenders
— Josh Hawley (@HawleyMO) March 16, 2022
In one such example, a sex offender was caught with multiple images of child porn.
“He was over 18,” Hawley noted. “The Sentencing Guidelines called for a sentence of up to 10 years. Judge Jackson sentenced the perpetrator to only 3 months in prison. Three months.”
In United States v. Cooper, in which the criminal had more than 600 images and videos and posted many on a public blog, the Guidelines called for a sentence of 151-188 months. Judge Jackson settled on 60 months, the lowest possible sentence allowed by law.
— Josh Hawley (@HawleyMO) March 16, 2022
In United States v. Savage, the sex offender was convicted of travel with intent to engage in illicit sexual conduct, and also admitted to transporting child porn. The Guidelines recommended 46-57 months. Judge Jackson gave him 37.
— Josh Hawley (@HawleyMO) March 16, 2022
“This is a disturbing record for any judge, but especially one nominated to the highest court in the land,” Hawley wrote.
“Protecting the most vulnerable shouldn’t be up for debate. Sending child predators to jail shouldn’t be controversial.”
The Sentencing Commission, Hawley said, has so far refused to turn over requested records pertinent to Jackson.
“In light of what we have learned, this stonewalling must end,” Hawley wrote. “We must get access to all relevant records.”
Maybe the GOP will release a messaging guide with instructions on how to ask pretty please.
