Trump moves to ‘dismantle key civil rights’ by replacing election figure: report
In an attempt to propel his agenda, President Donald Trump is attempting to remove the Chair of the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights, according to a Politico Report.
Current chair, Rochelle Garza, is a Democrat in the second year of her six-year term. She and other commission officials received an email last month claiming she was “de-designating” as the current chair.
The President is looking to replace her with Peter Kirsanow, who is a conservative commentator and employment lawyer.
However, chair terms do not expire when a new president is inaugurated. “Under the law, they can be fired ‘only for neglect of duty or malfeasance in office.’”
The president is attempting to change this by “Urging the Supreme Court to strike down similar statutory restrictions on the president’s ability to remove the heads of independent agencies.”
Garza told the outlet that she is “prepared to challenge any attempt to illegally remove me as chairwoman.”
Kirsanow did not respond to Politico’s request for comment.
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Politico claims, “The attempt to wrest control of the commission fits with the administration’s broad push to dismantle key civil rights institutions and enforcers.”
Garza is not the only one to be catching heat from the administration. According to reports, “Trump has also fired two Democrats from the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, which historically has enforced laws against workplace bias. Trump is expected to push the commission to aid his crusade against diversity, equity and inclusion programs.”
The outlet also raised questions on Trump’s pick for head of the Department of Justice’s Civil Rights Division, Harmeet Dhillon.
They allege the conservative attorney and GOP official is “likely to use its powers to prosecute left-leaning groups, challenge social media companies for alleged censorship of conservatives, and target universities for alleged anti-white and anti-Jewish discrimination.”