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Letter from Attorneys Opposing Stephen Bannon's Appointment as White House Chief Strategist to the President
NOTE: TO SIGN THE LETTER, PLEASE SCROLL DOWN TO THE BOTTOM, FILL IN THE FIELDS, AND HIT SUBMIT. YOU DO NOT HAVE TO CLICK THE BUTTON IN THE UPPER RIGHT REQUESTING TO EDIT THE LETTER.
[The below letter will be circulated to current and incoming members of Congress. With appropriate modifications in phrasing it will also be sent to the President-elect and his transition team. Please contact Professor Nancy Leong, University of Denver Sturm College of Law, at nleong@law.du.edu with any questions. As of 5 PM ET on 11/20/16 there are over 14,000 signatories to the letter.]
Dear [Leaders]:
We are attorneys whose political views span the ideological spectrum. We write to ask that you call upon President-Elect Trump to rescind his appointment of Stephen Bannon as White House Chief Strategist.
As attorneys, we swore an oath to uphold the Constitution. We committed to protect the institutions upon which our democracy depends. We committed to provide zealous representation for all our clients, regardless of their race, gender, religion, sexual orientation, or any other characteristic.
Mr. Bannon has demonstrated his opposition to the stable, democratic form of government that our profession embraces and strives to maintain. His words could not be more clear: “Lenin wanted to destroy the state, and that’s my goal, too . . . I want to bring everything crashing down, and destroy all of today’s establishment.” This contempt for our longstanding governmental institutions has no place in a crucial leadership position.
Mr. Bannon has also enabled and promoted white supremacy. Under his leadership, Breitbart News has become what Mr. Bannon himself describes as "a platform for the alt-right" -- another term for white nationalism. Through Breitbart, Mr. Bannon has intentionally legitimized racism, anti-Semitism, and other hate-based ideologies. Such bigotry runs counter to the values enshrined in the Constitution we promised to defend. Indeed, it threatens democracy itself by undermining the equality of all citizens.
Of course we do not dispute that Mr. Bannon has the right to voice his opinions. Indeed, some of us have devoted our careers to safeguarding a robust First Amendment that protects individuals, the media, and other organizations. But these extreme and hateful views do not belong in the White House.
This is not a partisan issue. The white supremacy and political insurgency that Mr. Bannon has embraced and amplified contradicts everything we stand for as attorneys and as Americans.
President-Elect Trump has promised to be "a president for all Americans." The selection of Mr. Bannon as a key advisor communicates exactly the opposite. We call upon you to take all possible measures to ensure that Mr. Trump rescinds his appointment of Mr. Bannon.
[signatures]
Note: The signatories to this letter are speaking on their own behalf, not on the behalf of their employers or any other individual or organization.
