Is the Justice Department Conducting Latino Outreach on Behalf of the GOP?

“Earlier this month, the Department of Justice’s top official overseeing voting rights, John Tanner, made some insensitive comments about elderly and minority voters at a Latino forum in Los Angeles, raising eyebrows in the voting rights community and prompting Democratic presidential candidate Sen. Barack Obama to call for his ouster on Friday.

But the greater outrage, according to civil rights lawyers across the country, is how the Department’s Voting Section has turned away from defending minorities that are seen as supporting Democrats — African Americans and Native Americans — while instead focusing on another minority that is seen as a Republican swing vote — Latinos.

“It may be cynical, but it may also be true,” said Julie Fernandes, senior policy analyst and special counsel for the Leadership Conference on Civil Rights, “that the enforcement for Latinos has been more vigorous because they see it as more in their political interest — their partisan interest.”"*

Stumble it! | |

Other posts that may interest you

REVShare Names Greg Richardson as Director, Latino Business Development; Hispanic Marketing Expert Joins Americas Largest CPA Television Advertising Network

Latina Lista: Do-it-Yourself Immigration Justice by States Discriminates Against Legal Latinos

Latina Lista: Federal Audit Shows Government "Mistakenly" Labeled Undocumented as Terrorists

Latino group alleges redistricting bias - Los Angeles County, California

Alberto Gonzales Leaves Justice Department - (last day Friday - September 14th, 2007)

Hispanic group outreach gets wary look - Hope City, Arkansas

Former DOE Employee Claims Department Discriminates Against Latinos - New York City

Justice Paul J. De Muniz Elected Chief Justice for Oregon Supreme Court

For Latino Youth, "La Justicia" is Hard to Find

Sacramento County Registrar of Voters Partners With Latino Task Force in California