Sen. Kennedy Destroys Biden Judicial Nominee Over Letter Calling to Release Prisoners

DURBIN Kennedy Kennedy Thank ░░░░░░░░ Mr Chairman I just ░░░░░░░░ like I need to ░░░░░░░░ this question Mr Fonzone ░░░░░░░░ when you advised the ░░░░░░░░ referenced Huawei and others ░░░░░░░░ were at Sidley FONZONE ░░░░░░░░ that s right sir ░░░░░░░░ And and when a ░░░░░░░░ comes to Sidley you ░░░░░░░░ to fill out a ░░░░░░░░ that says you know ░░░░░░░░ s my client name ░░░░░░░░ s my mailing address ░░░░░░░░ for business purposes and ░░░░░░░░ are my political beliefs ░░░░░░░░ s that the way ░░░░░░░░ works FONZONE There s ░░░░░░░░ a client intake process ░░░░░░░░ m I don t ░░░░░░░░ all the particulars of ░░░░░░░░ Kennedy Big law kind ░░░░░░░░ It s kind of ░░░░░░░░ who can pay the ░░░░░░░░ right FONZONE That s ░░░░░░░░ aspect of the of ░░░░░░░░ intake process I m ░░░░░░░░ Kennedy OK I understand ░░░░░░░░ I m looking at ░░░░░░░░ letter dated March 16 ░░░░░░░░ It s letter to ░░░░░░░░ Lamont in Connecticut The ░░░░░░░░ of it is Urgent ░░░░░░░░ needed to protect individuals ░░░░░░░░ Connecticut s prisons and ░░░░░░░░ from Coronavirus 19 pandemic ░░░░░░░░ you sign that letter ░░░░░░░░ RUSSELL So I don ░░░░░░░░ recall sitting here today ░░░░░░░░ Kennedy Here s your ░░░░░░░░ back here Why didn ░░░░░░░░ you turn this over ░░░░░░░░ us when you were ░░░░░░░░ to submit documents French ░░░░░░░░ So senator I made ░░░░░░░░ effort to search for ░░░░░░░░ that I had ever ░░░░░░░░ That s not a ░░░░░░░░ I remember But I ░░░░░░░░ certainly take a look ░░░░░░░░ that and Kennedy But ░░░░░░░░ we found it with ░░░░░░░░ search on the Internet ░░░░░░░░ RUSSELL I apologize senator ░░░░░░░░ I appologize crosstalk Kennedy ░░░░░░░░ your latter to the ░░░░░░░░ here s what you ░░░░░░░░ As they stand prisons ░░░░░░░░ jails are detrimental to ░░░░░░░░ health and human rights ░░░░░░░░ disproportionately harm marginalized communities ░░░░░░░░ black brown indigenous and ░░░░░░░░ communities of color immigrants ░░░░░░░░ with mental illness people ░░░░░░░░ disabilities people in the ░░░░░░░░ community people who use ░░░░░░░░ people engaged in sex ░░░░░░░░ and street economies and ░░░░░░░░ experiencing houselessness and poverty ░░░░░░░░ if you believe that ░░░░░░░░ our prisons how are ░░░░░░░░ going to ever send ░░░░░░░░ to prison French RUSSELL ░░░░░░░░ senator I will need ░░░░░░░░ take a look at ░░░░░░░░ letter And I apologize ░░░░░░░░ that s not something ░░░░░░░░ found to to Kennedy ░░░░░░░░ don t French RUSSELL ░░░░░░░░ hand to this committee ░░░░░░░░ can Kennedy You re ░░░░░░░░ denaying you said that ░░░░░░░░ RUSSELL I do need ░░░░░░░░ see the letter to ░░░░░░░░ the context because again ░░░░░░░░ s not something I ░░░░░░░░ adding my name to ░░░░░░░░ can assure you senator ░░░░░░░░ All right And you ░░░░░░░░ say first you call ░░░░░░░░ Governor Lamont to to ░░░░░░░░ release everybody in jail ░░░░░░░░ that right Because of ░░░░░░░░ Coronavirus French RUSSELL So ░░░░░░░░ senator I would need ░░░░░░░░ see that letter in ░░░░░░░░ of me It certainly ░░░░░░░░ not Kennedy You can ░░░░░░░░ it with just put ░░░░░░░░ name in into Google ░░░░░░░░ ll find it in ░░░░░░░░ three nanoseconds French RUSSELL ░░░░░░░░ will senator I can ░░░░░░░░ you that I I ░░░░░░░░ You said you said ░░░░░░░░ your letter professor we ░░░░░░░░ on Governor Lamont State ░░░░░░░░ Connecticut and all Connecticut ░░░░░░░░ to immediate release to ░░░░░░░░ maximum extent possible people ░░░░░░░░ pretrial and post conviction ░░░░░░░░ then you go on ░░░░░░░░ say talking once again ░░░░░░░░ our jails The global ░░░░░░░░ 19 pandemic is throwing ░░░░░░░░ sharp relief the untenable ░░░░░░░░ of our penal system ░░░░░░░░ the need for sustained ░░░░░░░░ to shrink it Shrink ░░░░░░░░ scale shrink its size ░░░░░░░░ shrink its scope You ░░░░░░░░ here like the district ░░░░░░░░ in San Francisco If ░░░░░░░░ believe that are you ░░░░░░░░ to ever send anybody ░░░░░░░░ jail professor French RUSSELL ░░░░░░░░ can assure you senator ░░░░░░░░ I understand the role ░░░░░░░░ the judge And that ░░░░░░░░ can assure you prison ░░░░░░░░ is an appropriate sentence ░░░░░░░░ many cases Kennedy That ░░░░░░░░ not what you say ░░░░░░░░ to the governor You ░░░░░░░░ to the governor This ░░░░░░░░ t some DoorDash delivery ░░░░░░░░ You wrote to the ░░░░░░░░ of your state three ░░░░░░░░ ago French RUSSELL So ░░░░░░░░ senator I would need ░░░░░░░░ look at the letter ░░░░░░░░ sounds like it was ░░░░░░░░ at the height of ░░░░░░░░ pandemic where governors were ░░░░░░░░ for Kennedy You also ░░░░░░░░ to the governor You ░░░░░░░░ people over the age ░░░░░░░░ 55 are at the ░░░░░░░░ risk for Covid 19 ░░░░░░░░ also pose the least ░░░░░░░░ safety risk to our ░░░░░░░░ People in this age ░░░░░░░░ can and should be ░░░░░░░░ immediately to mitigate the ░░░░░░░░ of Covid 19 You ░░░░░░░░ the governor just if ░░░░░░░░ re over age 55 ░░░░░░░░ shouldn t let everybody ░░░░░░░░ French RUSSELL No senator ░░░░░░░░ s not a position ░░░░░░░░ That s what you ░░░░░░░░ French RUSSELL OK Kennedy ░░░░░░░░ is French RUSSELL Again ░░░░░░░░ I I will look ░░░░░░░░ that letter I can ░░░░░░░░ you that Kennedy Find ░░░░░░░░ on Google professor You ░░░░░░░░ say Governor Lamont should ░░░░░░░░ an executive order to ░░░░░░░░ the State s attorney ░░░░░░░░ and law enforcement entities ░░░░░░░░ the town and city ░░░░░░░░ departments and any federal ░░░░░░░░ enforcement entity operating within ░░░░░░░░ state to immediately cease ░░░░░░░░ to the incarcerated prison ░░░░░░░░ given the high risk ░░░░░░░░ infection posed by the ░░░░░░░░ increase You ask the ░░░░░░░░ to tell every every ░░░░░░░░ enforcement official in the ░░░░░░░░ to stop arresting people ░░░░░░░░ putting them in jail ░░░░░░░░ t you French RUSSELL ░░░░░░░░ again senator I have ░░░░░░░░ look at that letter ░░░░░░░░ You don t remember ░░░░░░░░ RUSSELL I I do ░░░░░░░░ there were modifications that ░░░░░░░░ governors were making around ░░░░░░░░ country to respond to ░░░░░░░░ pandemic Kennedy OK You ░░░░░░░░ had an opinion in ░░░░░░░░ letter about can I ░░░░░░░░ another 30 seconds Mr ░░░░░░░░ You have an opinion ░░░░░░░░ your letter about about ░░░░░░░░ You said immigration detention ░░░░░░░░ the same health risk ░░░░░░░░ jails and prisons and ░░░░░░░░ law enforcement must stop ░░░░░░░░ people into the unsafe ░░░░░░░░ inhumane immigration detention system ░░░░░░░░ you say Governor Lemont ░░░░░░░░ release all individuals currently ░░░░░░░░ state custody who are ░░░░░░░░ a transfer to ICE ░░░░░░░░ and the governor should ░░░░░░░░ a moratorium on all ░░░░░░░░ all such future transfers ░░░░░░░░ if somebody is in ░░░░░░░░ country illegally and commits ░░░░░░░░ crime are you going ░░░░░░░░ put them in jail ░░░░░░░░ you believe this about ░░░░░░░░ French RUSSELL Senator I ░░░░░░░░ assure you were I ░░░░░░░░ fortunate to be confirmed ░░░░░░░░ would treat crimes seriously ░░░░░░░░ That s not what ░░░░░░░░ letter says professor And ░░░░░░░░ was three years ago ░░░░░░░░ you were in law ░░░░░░░░ and you didn t ░░░░░░░░ it over to us ░░░░░░░░ had to find it ░░░░░░░░ our own DURBIN Senator ░░░░░░░░ chair has been generous ░░░░░░░░ time I think you ░░░░░░░░ had —”