Black Caucus leaders shocked by Holder resignation

Credit: Mark Wilson

Credit: Mark Wilson

Civil rights leaders at a Congressional Black Caucus conference had no sooner finished singing the praises of Attorney General Eric Holder Thursday when House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi stood up with news that stunned the crowd into murmurs of disbelief.

“The word is now that the attorney general will resign today,” she said.

On stage, Rep. Joyce Beatty, D-Columbus, honorary co-chair of the Congressional Black Caucus Annual Legislative Caucus, looked shocked.

“It was shocking because of so many of the great things I believe he has put in place,” she said after the news broke.

The caucus had been engaged in town hall meeting on the need for African-Americans to become more civically engaged and to turn out the vote, not just in the Nov. 4 midterm elections, but year-round. Civil rights leaders linked a lack of civic engagement among blacks to the unrest in Ferguson, Mo., where police officers shot an unarmed black man in August, sparking riots.

Rep. John Lewis, D-Ga., said he was “very sad” to hear that Holder was stepping down.

“He has been one to fight for what is right and fair and just,” he said.

African-Americans say that Holder’s work to investigate police shootings of minorities – he announced earlier this week that the Justice Department would investigate the shootings of a man shot by police in a Beavercreek Walmart – as well as his work to reduce a disparity among the prison sentences black men and white men found guilty of drug offenses has helped the black community. Holder is the first African-American to serve as U.S. attorney general.

“But for the president appointing him and having Eric Holder in the Attorney General’s Office, we would not have had many changes that affect poor communities and affect minority communities,” Beatty said. “I think he has done an incredible job in the face of adversity on many issues.”

But Holder is far from universally loved. Across town Thursday, Rep. Jim Jordan, in town preparing for a speech at the Values Voters Summit on Friday, expressed happiness that Holder’s tenure was at an end.

He criticized Holder for not responding to Congress’ questions about the Fast and Furious gun-running sting, which allowed thousands of weapons into Mexicans in hopes of tracking the guns to Mexican drug cartels. In 2012, the House voted to hold Holder in contempt for his refusal to answer questions about the operation.

“It can’t get any worse,” Jordan, R-Urbana, said. “Whoever the new person is, there’s only one direction to go and that’s up, in my opinion.”

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