Libertarian presidential nominee Jo Jorgenson removed Alan Dershowitz from her list of potential Supreme Court justice picks just one day after releasing it due to controversy over his ties to Jeffrey Epstein and his past statements about gun rights and torture.
Jorgensen, a lecturer in psychology at Clemson University, followed President Trump’s lead and released a list on Wednesday of legal experts whom she would consider to replace the late Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg.
Dershowitz, the Harvard Law School professor emeritus, was among the 19 names on this list. A noted commentator on legal issues and criminal defense expert, Dershowitz gained notoriety with his involvement in a number of high-profile cases: He represented O. J. Simpson in his 1995 murder case, was a consultant for Harvey Weinstein’s legal team as he defended himself against sexual abuse allegations, was on Trump’s defense team during the president’s impeachment trial earlier this year.
He also was legal defense for financier and sex offender Jeffrey Epstein in 2008, during which time he helped negotiate a controversial “non-prosecution agreement” that shielded any Epstein co-conspirators from future prosecution. Dershowitz also vacationed with his family on Epstein’s private island.
Virginia Roberts Giuffre, who says that she was trafficked to Prince Andrew and others by Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell, has also said that she was trafficked to Dershowitz, a charge that he vehemently denies.
Dershowitz’s association with Epstein was not the only factor that sparked outrage among libertarians about his inclusion on the list. His position that in some cases, “torture may be the only or best tactic for saving lives,” drew criticism. He is also a supporter of gun control and has called the Second Amendment, “an absurd thing to be in our Constitution.”
Jorgenson’s campaign quickly removed Dershowitz from the list of potential picks, and she explained the decision in a series of tweets on Friday.
“His statements that torture may sometimes be acceptable and his opposition to gun rights disqualifies him from any further consideration,” Jorgenson said. “In addition, there are unresolved questions about his association with Jeffrey Epstein.”
The response among libertarians and the broader public to most names on the list has been generally supportive. However, many rightly oppose including Alan Dershowitz.
2/— Jo Jorgensen (@Jorgensen4POTUS) September 25, 2020
In addition, there are unresolved questions about his association with Jeffrey Epstein. As a result, I have permanently removed Dershowitz from my list of potential nominees.
/4— Jo Jorgensen (@Jorgensen4POTUS) September 25, 2020
Jorgenson’s Supreme Court list also includes Fox News legal analyst Andrew Napolitano, legal blogger Eugene Volokh, George Washington University Law School professor Jonathan Turley, and U.S. 5th Circuit Court of Appeals Judge Don Willett, who is also on Trump’s Supreme Court list.
Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden has pledged to nominate a black woman to the court but said Sunday that he would not release a list of potential picks.
