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Sessions to White House: Quit stalling on Sotomayor documents
By: Byron York
Chief Political Correspondent
07/01/09 5:08 PM EDT
Says Sotomayor's involvement with PRLDEF was "deeper than previously thought"
A spokesman for Republican Sen. Jeff Sessions says documents provided by the Puerto Rican Legal Defense and Education Fund show that Supreme Court nominee Sonia Sotomayor played a "deeper than previously thought" role in controversial positions taken by the PRLDEF. And Sessions' office says the White House and PRLDEF have still not turned over all the material requested by the Senate Judiciary Committee for Sotomayor's confirmation hearing. PRLDEF turned over some material last night -- just two weeks before the scheduled beginning of the Sotomayor hearing -- and Republicans say there is still more material that needs to be examined. From Sessions spokesman Stephen Boyd:
The documents received last night from PRLDEF—an organization that has taken numerous controversial legal positions in the past—come from only three of at least six boxes of material that were reviewed by the White House weeks ago. The Committee should have received those documents last week, not last night.
A cursory look at the limited material now in our possession raises several red flags, including a link between PRLDEF and ACORN, as well as information indicating Judge Sotomayor’s deeper-than-previously thought involvement in developing the legal positions of the organization.
What we have now is just the tip of the iceberg. We know that more than 300 boxes of documents remain and their contents have not been shared with the Committee.
PRLDEF’s lawyers acknowledged these boxes six days ago and said they would provide these documents on a rolling basis. Common sense suggests that, at the least, some of the material in those boxes would shed more light on Judge Sotomayor’s involvement in the organization. We need the opportunity to closely review those outstanding documents before Judge Sotomayor’s Supreme Court nomination hearing begins.
We’re disappointed in how long it is taking to comply with this bipartisan request for documents. This has all the hallmarks of a deliberate delay and an attempt to frustrate a thorough review of this important information.
As we’ve previously pointed out, this is a Supreme Court nominee with one of the longest records in recent history, who is being rushed through the Senate in the shortest timeline in recent history. If these dilatory tactics continue, it will be increasingly more difficult for the hearing to go forward on July 13.
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