On Wednesday, Sen. Josh Hawley (R-MO) said that President Joe Biden’s Supreme Court nominee “has a pattern of letting child porn offenders off the hook for their appalling crimes.”
Hawley explained his concerns in a thread on Twitter, saying that he has “been researching the record of Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson, reading her opinions, articles, interviews & speeches,” and he has “noticed an alarming pattern when it comes to Judge Jackson’s treatment of sex offenders, especially those preying on children.”
“Judge Jackson has a pattern of letting child porn offenders off the hook for their appalling crimes, both as a judge and as a policymaker. She’s been advocating for it since law school. This goes beyond ‘soft on crime.’ I’m concerned that this a record that endangers our children,” he continued.
Hawley noted that since she was in law school, Judge Jackson has been questioning whether convicts should be made to register as sex offenders because it leads to “stigmatization and ostracism.”
“She’s suggested public policy is driven by a ‘climate of fear, hatred & revenge’ against sex offenders,” Hawley wrote.
As far back as her time in law school, Judge Jackson has questioned making convicts register as sex offenders – saying it leads to “stigmatization and ostracism.” She’s suggested public policy is driven by a “climate of fear, hatred & revenge” against sex offenders pic.twitter.com/2QUcPOnWPR
— Josh Hawley (@HawleyMO) March 16, 2022
“It gets worse,” he warned. “As a member of the U.S. Sentencing Commission, Judge Jackson advocated for drastic change in how the law treats sex offenders by eliminating the existing mandatory minimum sentences for child porn.”
“Judge Jackson has said that some people who possess child porn ‘are in this for either the collection, or the people who are loners and find status in their participation in the community.’ What community would that be? The community of child exploiters?” Hawley said. “Judge Jackson has opined there may be a type of ‘less-serious child pornography offender’ whose motivation is not sexual but ‘is the challenge, or to use the technology.’ A ‘less-serious’ child porn offender?”
Judge Jackson has said that some people who possess child porn “are in this for either the collection, or the people who are loners and find status in their participation in the community.” What community would that be? The community of child exploiters? pic.twitter.com/JDxqf9Q1AH
— Josh Hawley (@HawleyMO) March 16, 2022
Jackson has also said that she wanted “to understand this category of nonpedophiles who obtain child pornography,” Hawley added.
“On the federal bench, Judge Jackson put her troubling views into action,” the senator tweeted. “In every single child porn case for which we can find records, Judge Jackson deviated from the federal sentencing guidelines in favor of child porn offenders.”
“This is a disturbing record for any judge, but especially one nominated to the highest court in the land,” he said. “Protecting the most vulnerable shouldn’t be up for debate. Sending child predators to jail shouldn’t be controversial.”
Hawley concluded by stating the Sentencing Commission has refused to allow access to all of Jackson’s records.
“In light of what we have learned, this stonewalling must end,” he added. “We must get access to all relevant records.”
