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| Brian Fallon, former press secretary for Clinton's 2016 campaign |
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| George Mason University is a public research university with its main campus in Fairfax, Virginia. Initially founded as a branch of the University of Virginia in 1949, it became an independent institution in 1972. |
A top aide to Hillary Clinton’s 2016 presidential campaign -- now leading a liberal “dark money” group -- is backing a student effort at George Mason University to get Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh fired from teaching a summer course over misconduct allegations.
A student group calling itself “Mason For Survivors” began circulating a petition last month, so far attracting nearly 5,000 signatures, urging to “terminate AND void ALL contracts and affiliation with Brett Kavanaugh at George Mason University” on the grounds that the justice was accused of misconduct.
But the campaign is being given a partisan boost thanks to Brian Fallon, former press secretary for Clinton's 2016 campaign, who’s now in charge of Demand Justice, a liberal advocacy group that doesn’t disclose its funding.
Fallon and his group are paying for Facebook ads that target anyone linked with George Mason University, urging them to sign the petition, in addition to signing a separate petition that calls upon the Democrats in Congress to investigate Kavanaugh, the HuffPost reported.
“Brett Kavanaugh’s performance during his testimony in front of the Senate was a disgrace. His blatant partisan attacks and hostile behavior towards senators calls into question his ability to serve as a fair and impartial judge. His conduct undermines the legitimacy of his decisions and the entire Supreme Court,” read the ad on Facebook on Friday. “We’re calling on Congress to open an investigation into Kavanaugh right now.”
Fallon justified the move in a news release, saying the allegations raised during the confirmation hearing last year, in his view, were credible.
“Brett Kavanaugh has been credibly accused of sexual assault by multiple women whose allegations have not been thoroughly investigated,” Fallon said. “His confirmation to the Supreme Court does not absolve him of guilt, and he should not be given a platform to teach. We stand with survivors and urge the George Mason University administration to fire Kavanaugh.”
The Mason For Survivors group, claiming to be a “student-led advocacy group in solidarity with survivors,” also urges the university to release “any and all documents” concerning the hiring of Kavanaugh, in addition to holding a town hall and a formal apology by university officials.
The school’s top officials are expected at a town hall next Tuesday, where they will face questions over the hiring of Kavanaugh.
But the school has so far rebuffed the activists’ demands and issued a statement affirming the hiring of Kavanaugh on the grounds that the university seeks to have students being taught by the “most influential legal experts in the nation.”
“The law school has determined that the involvement of a U.S. Supreme Court Justice contributes to making our law program uniquely valuable for our students. And I accept their judgment,” he added.
“This decision, controversial as it may be, in no way affects the university’s ongoing efforts to eradicate sexual violence from our campuses.”
A student group calling itself “Mason For Survivors” began circulating a petition last month, so far attracting nearly 5,000 signatures, urging to “terminate AND void ALL contracts and affiliation with Brett Kavanaugh at George Mason University” on the grounds that the justice was accused of misconduct.
But the campaign is being given a partisan boost thanks to Brian Fallon, former press secretary for Clinton's 2016 campaign, who’s now in charge of Demand Justice, a liberal advocacy group that doesn’t disclose its funding.
Fallon and his group are paying for Facebook ads that target anyone linked with George Mason University, urging them to sign the petition, in addition to signing a separate petition that calls upon the Democrats in Congress to investigate Kavanaugh, the HuffPost reported.
“Brett Kavanaugh’s performance during his testimony in front of the Senate was a disgrace. His blatant partisan attacks and hostile behavior towards senators calls into question his ability to serve as a fair and impartial judge. His conduct undermines the legitimacy of his decisions and the entire Supreme Court,” read the ad on Facebook on Friday. “We’re calling on Congress to open an investigation into Kavanaugh right now.”
Fallon justified the move in a news release, saying the allegations raised during the confirmation hearing last year, in his view, were credible.
“Brett Kavanaugh has been credibly accused of sexual assault by multiple women whose allegations have not been thoroughly investigated,” Fallon said. “His confirmation to the Supreme Court does not absolve him of guilt, and he should not be given a platform to teach. We stand with survivors and urge the George Mason University administration to fire Kavanaugh.”
“Brett Kavanaugh has been credibly accused of sexual assault by multiple women whose allegations have not been thoroughly investigated. His confirmation to the Supreme Court does not absolve him of guilt, and he should not be given a platform to teach."Kavanaugh is set to teach students of the university’s Antonin Scalia Law School next summer in the United Kingdom as a distinguished visiting professor, with the class reportedly having no more spaces left due to overwhelming interest.
— Brian Fallon, former aide to Hillary Clinton
The Mason For Survivors group, claiming to be a “student-led advocacy group in solidarity with survivors,” also urges the university to release “any and all documents” concerning the hiring of Kavanaugh, in addition to holding a town hall and a formal apology by university officials.
The school’s top officials are expected at a town hall next Tuesday, where they will face questions over the hiring of Kavanaugh.
But the school has so far rebuffed the activists’ demands and issued a statement affirming the hiring of Kavanaugh on the grounds that the university seeks to have students being taught by the “most influential legal experts in the nation.”
"I respect the views of people who disagreed with Justice Kavanaugh’s Senate confirmation due to questions raised about his sexual conduct in high school. But he was confirmed and is now a sitting Justice."“I respect the views of people who disagreed with Justice Kavanaugh’s Senate confirmation due to questions raised about his sexual conduct in high school. But he was confirmed and is now a sitting Justice,” Angel Cabrera, the university’s president, said last month.
— George Mason University President Angel Cabrera
“The law school has determined that the involvement of a U.S. Supreme Court Justice contributes to making our law program uniquely valuable for our students. And I accept their judgment,” he added.
“This decision, controversial as it may be, in no way affects the university’s ongoing efforts to eradicate sexual violence from our campuses.”
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