During a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing, tensions flared as Republican Senator Ted Cruz clashed with Democratic Senator Dick Durbin over allegations of bias. The dispute centered around Adeel Mangi, nominated by President Joe Biden for the U.S. Circuit Judge position. Durbin referred to the Anti-Defamation League (ADL), accusing Cruz of “prejudicial treatment” and “bigotry.”
In a previous hearing on December 13, Cruz raised concerns about Mangi’s involvement with Rutgers Law School’s Center for Security, Race and Rights (CSRR). The CSRR had issued a letter during the 2021 Israel-Hamas conflict, criticizing the conditions Palestinians live under. While Mangi did not explicitly agree with the statement, he condemned calls for genocide and described an attack on Israel as a “horror.”
Cruz further questioned Mangi about his approval of an event held by the CSRR on the 20th anniversary of 9/11, featuring Sami Al-Arian, who pleaded guilty in 2006 to conspiring to fund the terror group Palestinian Islamic Jihad. Mangi claimed he was unaware of the event due to the advisory board’s infrequent meetings and condemned the 9/11 attacks.
In response to Durbin’s accusations, Cruz vehemently defended himself, calling the accusations disgraceful and asserting his right to self-defense. He criticized Durbin for not addressing the substance of the concerns raised about Mangi’s affiliations and accused Democrats of deflecting by raising allegations of Islamophobia and playing the race card.
Cruz emphasized that Durbin did not dispute the facts regarding Mangi’s association with the CSRR and accused Democrats of avoiding a substantive defense. The exchange highlighted the deep divides within the Senate Judiciary Committee, where discussions about a nominee’s affiliations became entangled with allegations of bigotry and prejudice. As the clash unfolded, it underscored the challenges of navigating complex issues related to nominees’ backgrounds and affiliations within the realm of political discourse.
