Reverend, MSNBC host and White House Ferguson liaison Al Sharpton says he is helping the Obama administration in its effort to select a replacement for Attorney General Eric Holder.
Sharpton released a statement Thursday alleging that he and his civil rights organization National Action Network were “engaged in immediate conversations with the White House on deliberations over a successor whom we hope will continue in the general direction of Attorney General Holder,” according to Business Insider.
The reverend expressed his “disappointment” at Holder’s resignation while also complimenting the outgoing attorney general on a job well done.
“The resignation of Attorney General Eric Holder is met with both pride and disappointment by the Civil Rights community,” read the statement. “We are proud that he has been the best Attorney General on Civil Rights in U.S. history and disappointed because he leaves at a critical time when we need his continued diligence most.”
“Policing of Americans is the critical challenge of today, especially Blacks and Browns in particular,” Sharpton continued. “We will aggressively pursue the Justice Department’s involvement in dealing with these matters in his remaining days and in the days ahead of his successor.”
However, in a later statement to Business Insider, Sharpton walked back on his suggestion that he was actively helping the White House in its decision-making process.
“We did not say we are in the decision making,” he clarified. “We are in conversation to reach out to them to have meetings about what we want to see in a successor. I have personally spoken to Attorney General Eric Holder today to express my views that he was the best civil rights Attorney General in history.”
President Obama confirmed Thursday that Holder will retire from his post as attorney general as soon as his replacement is chosen and confirmed.
