Ryan J. Reilly has the response from Department of Justice spokeswoman Tracy Schmaler to Bush-era Voting Section Chief Christopher Coates' testimony before the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights today:
"As even one Republican member of the commission has acknowledged, this so-called investigation is thin on facts and evidence and thick on rhetoric.
"The Department makes enforcement decisions based on the merits, not the race, gender or ethnicity of any party involved. We are committed to comprehensive and vigorous enforcement of the federal laws that prohibit voter intimidation. We continue to work with voters, communities, and local law enforcement to ensure that Americans can vote free from intimidation, coercion or threats.
"Let's not forget the context in which these allegations are being made. The politicization that occurred in the Civil Rights Division in the previous administration has been well documented by the Inspector General, and it was a disgrace to the great history of the division. We have changed that. We have reinvigorated the Civil Rights Division and ensured that it is actively enforcing the American people's civil rights, and it is clear that not everyone supports that. We are committed to enforcing our nation's civil rights laws, and we are going to continue to do so without respect to politics."
It doesn't help conservatives' case that Coates, supposedly a neutral voice here, defended that politicization in his testimony from an ideological perspective.
