WASHINGTON: Joe Biden picks Indian-American Vanita Gupta as associate attorney general

WASHINGTON: US President-elect Joe Biden on Thursday nominated
Indian-American Vanita Gupta to be the associate attorney general and roped in
judge Merrick Garland for the position of attorney general.

He also announced the nominations of Lisa Monaco as deputy attorney general and
Kristen Clarke for assistant attorney general for the civil rights division.

“Our first-rate nominees to lead the justice department are eminently
qualified, embody character and judgment that is beyond reproach, and have
devoted their careers to serving the American people with honor and
integrity,” Biden said.

“They will restore the independence of the department so it serves the
interests of the people not a presidency, rebuild public trust in the rule of
law, and work tirelessly to ensure a more fair and equitable justice
system,” he said.

Gupta, 46, is currently serving as President and CEO of the leadership
conference on civil and human rights. If confirmed by the US Senate, Gupta
would be the highest ranking Indian-American in the department of justice.

They are among the “most accomplished” legal minds in our country who
also reflect the best of America’s full range of talents and background, Biden
said.

“I am honored they accepted this call to serve at such a critical time in
our nation’s history,” he said.

A former acting assistant attorney general and one of the best-known and most
respected civil rights attorneys in America, Gupta would be the first woman of
colour to serve in this role.

She has spent her career fighting successfully for greater equity in our
justice system and advancing the rights and dignity of every American, Biden’s
transition said.

Gupta served as acting assistant attorney general for the civil rights division
— the chief civil rights prosecutor for the United States. She is a successful
consensus builder on tough issues, with years of experience on managing complex
settlements and advocacy experience.

Judge Garland is an independent jurist on the United States court of appeals
for the district of Columbia. A consensus-building voice, Garland has worked
under Democratic and Republican administrations.

He led investigations into some of the most high-profile cases and crises in
modern history and coordinated the government’s response to the Oklahoma City bombing.

Judge Garland’s nomination underscores the President-elect’s commitment to
restore integrity and the rule of law, boost morale of the dedicated career
professionals at DOJ, and build a more equitable justice system that serves all
Americans, the transition said.

Monaco, a veteran prosecutor and dedicated public servant, served in the
department of justice for fifteen years, as assistant attorney general for
national security, a senior official in the office of the deputy attorney
general and as a career prosecutor.

She has been a trailblazer for women
in national security. She was the first woman confirmed as assistant attorney
general for national security and was one of the most senior women on former
president Barack Obama’s national security team.

Clarke, a veteran of the department
of justice, has extensive civil rights experience, starting her career in civil
rights as a career attorney in the civil rights division at the department of
justice where she handled cases of police misconduct, hate crimes, human
trafficking, voting rights, and redistricting cases.

“Fidelity to the rule of law
forms the bedrock of America’s democracy. And in the face of both the damage
that has been done to our justice department and our country’s long-overdue
reckoning on racial injustice, these are the right leaders to meet this
moment,” Vice President-elect Kamala Harris said.

“These justice department
veterans will not only help make sure justice is applied equally across our
country, they will also restore integrity and independence to the justice
department, helping rebuild the American people’s trust in the
institution,” she said.