'Could You Explain Your Relationship With This Organziation': Durbin Lets Embattled Nom Explain Past

4 months ago

At today's Senate Judiciary Committee hearing, Sen. Dick Durbin (D-IL) questioned Karla M. Campbell, nominee to be United States Circuit Judge for the Sixth Circuit, about her work for the Workers' Dignity organization after relentless GOP attacks on it.

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Transcript

00:00able to preside, but in the capable hands of my colleague, Peter Welch.

00:05Judge Lopez, would you like to complete that sentence you were starting about

00:10the support you have from prosecutors as well as defenders?

00:14Certainly, Senator, thank you.

00:17What I was indicating is that I have broad support,

00:19including from several victims' organizations,

00:22the Maine Coalition to End Domestic Violence, which represents all of

00:26the domestic violence service organizations in the state of Maine,

00:30as well as the support of the Maine Coalition Against Sexual Assault,

00:33which represents the sexual assault organizations in Maine,

00:37as well as support from prosecutors, law enforcement, and

00:42I believe that is reflective both of the work I did as a prosecutor on behalf of

00:46crime victims and the care that I take with victims in my role as a judge.

00:53And you presided over approximately 21 trials, civil misdemeanor and

00:57felony matters?

00:58Yes, Senator.

00:5970% were jury trials and 30% were bench trials.

01:04And I take it that the endorsements which you receive reflect on your

01:09entire career, not on any one specific case.

01:12That's correct, Senator.

01:13That's the difference between the real world and this committee.

01:17If you have said something in high school in this committee,

01:23be prepared to defend it, and it may define your life for

01:27some members of the committee, not for me.

01:29I think there's much more to life than one ruling or

01:33one observation in an article, or

01:35whether you were an advisory member of some committee.

01:39Ms. Campbell, that's the situation you face, is it not, with this organization

01:43that's been the subject of questioning today?

01:48Could you explain your relationship with that organization?

01:53Thank you, Senator.

01:57Approximately 10 to 15 years ago, I served for a couple of years,

02:04two or three years, on an advisory board for

02:10an organization that was, at that time, getting off the ground.

02:13And I understood it to be a non-profit group that would help low-wage

02:19workers by providing them with information about their legal rights.

02:24And that was something that I supported and volunteered my time for.

02:30In recent years, I have not had any involvement with that group because

02:35I believe that they have strayed into the political sphere,

02:38rather than staying with their original mission to support workers.

02:41And so I'm not involved with them anymore, Senator.

02:47Did you represent them as a lawyer?

02:48No, Senator.

02:50So though your photo may appear at their website,

02:53that does not suggest that you misled this committee?

02:56Correct, Senator.

02:57I do, I'm open in that I served on an advisory board early on in my career.

03:04I wonder how many of us as United States Senators,

03:07where our parties every four years issue a platform, taking positions on issues,

03:12would like to be held accountable for every aspect of those platforms,

03:15because we're members of the party.

03:18It gets right down to it, if I don't write it, and if I don't say it, and

03:21I don't subscribe to it, I shouldn't be held accountable for it, period.

03:26And yet, this seems to be a double standard when it comes to nominees before

03:29this committee.

03:29If you were part of an organization which at any point put out a press release,

03:34you're being asked to defend it.

03:36It's okay to be asked, but I think it reaches a point where it's unreasonable

03:40to subscribe every single thought uttered by some other person as your own.

03:46Each of us have a right to stand up and say what we truly believe in.

03:49Tell me, Ms. Campbell, about your experience when it comes to serving

03:54in court as a lawyer and the kind of support that you have.

03:57Thank you, Senator.

04:01I largely have a plaintiff's side practice, and

04:05it has been my privilege to represent folks from across the state of Tennessee,

04:11a lot of low-wage workers, federal benefit trust funds and

04:18fiduciaries of those funds who are helping to protect pensions for workers.

04:23I have represented victims of crimes.

04:26Recently, I have represented district attorneys general across the state of

04:31Tennessee in civil litigation, and

04:33some of my clients have provided letters to this committee as well.

04:37Do you have the support of prosecutors as well as defense bar?

04:40Yes, Senator.

04:41Those are a matter of record for- Yes, Senator.

04:44Those who want to read them.

04:45Mr. Chairman, I yield.

04:48Thank you, Senator Blackburn.

'Could You Explain Your Relationship With This Organziation': Durbin Lets Embattled Nom Explain Past

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