Grassley says he won’t tolerate character attacks at Sessions confirmation

“Democratic members of the committee have pledged a fair process. Based on those commitments, I trust the other side will resist what some liberal interest groups are clearly hoping for — an attack on his character,” said Grassley, the chairman of the Judiciary Committee, after his meeting with Sessions. “That will not happen here.”

Sessions has been a controversial choice to lead the Justice Department due to his past confirmation hearing three decades earlier, when he was nominated for a federal judgeship. In those hearings, Democrats accused Sessions of making racist comments, and said he wasn’t fit to serve as a federal judge. The nomination was scuttled.

Sessions is also anathema to Democrats who see him as ready to roll back civil rights for the country’s minority groups and unwilling to defend social policies handed down by the Obama administration.

Grassley said Sessions is known by senators to be an “honorable man and a person of integrity.” He said the hearings will treat him as such.

“The hearings for the four most recent Attorneys General lasted one to two days each. And at each of those hearings, three to nine outside witnesses testified,” Grassley said. “Nine witnesses testified at the hearing for Attorney General Lynch, seven witnesses testified at the hearings for Attorneys General Holder and Mukasey, and three witnesses testified at the hearing for Attorney General Gonzales.”

“Senator Sessions will receive the fair and thorough vetting process he deserves, as have the last four nominees to be Attorney General,” Grassley said.

Grassley indicated Sessions is still working on the committee’s questionnaire for the role of attorney general and a hearing date will be set once that work is finished. The hearing is likely to be held before Trump is sworn into office.