Mar 17, 2022 - Politics & Policy
Top Obama officials defend Ketanji Brown Jackson for representing Gitmo detainees
- Mike Allen, author of Axios AM
Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson in the office of Sen. Ben Sasse (R-Neb.) March 3 while making courtesy calls on the Hill. Photo: Justin Sullivan/Getty Images
Former Homeland Security Secretary Jeh Johnson is marshaling support for Supreme Court nominee Ketanji Brown Jackson on what's expected to be a top issue at her confirmation hearings, which begin Monday.
The big picture: As a public defender, and later in private practice, Jackson represented several Guantanamo Bay detainees between 2005 and 2009.
- The "American system of justice depends upon strong advocacy on both sides of the courtroom," reads a letter from Johnson and other key Obama-era national-security lawyers.
- A final confirmation vote is expected in early April.