Conservatives urge Sen. Collins to review Biden Supreme Court pick's record in light of lenient sentences for child porn offenders

A coalition of conservative advocates sent a letter to Sen. Collins on Thursday, urging the Maine Senator to reject the nomination of Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson to the Supreme Court.

After four days of questioning, Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson's confirmation hearings have concluded. A vote is expected to take place in the Senate in April.

In an attempt to persuade Collins to vote against Judge Jackson's confirmation, a group of conservative advocates sent her a letter expressing their concern over the nominee's views on certain crimes.

"Dear Senator Collins," the letter begins. "We write to strongly urge you to vote against Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson to be an Associate Justice of the United States Supreme Court."

The letter focuses on two main aspects of Judge Jackson's record, her tendency to give lenient sentences to child predators, and her defense of Guantanamo Bay detainees as an attorney.

"In recent weeks, there has been reporting from news outlets that Judge Jackson was zealous in defending Guantanamo Bay terrorists, some of whom helped murder United States citizens. According to these reports, she even 'flirted with unsubstantiated left-wing theories' in her defense, raising questions as to whether her work was truly as disinterested as is now claimed," the letter stated.

"Just a few days ago, your colleague Senator Josh Hawley also revealed that Judge Jackson has a troublesome record on crime, specifically when it comes to child predators," it added.

During the hearings, Sen. Josh Hawley grilled Judge Jackson about her handling of child pornography cases, including United States v. Hawkins where she gave the defendant three months in jail. The sentencing guidelines called for up to ten years.

Judge Jackson was also criticized for advocating for abolishing mandatory minimum sentences for child pornography crimes, and suggesting that making convicts register as sex offenders would lead to stigmatization and ostracism.

According to the Kansas City Star, Judge Jackson defended numerous Guantanamo Bay detainees as an attorney, and continued doing so after moving away from public defense.

"She volunteered to continue that representation in private practice, which I think is interesting," said Sen. Hawley in a press conference earlier in March. "And frankly, from my point of view, a little concerning. This isn’t just the filing of amicus briefs."

Collins was one of only three Republicans who voted to confirm Judge Jackson to the US Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit in 2021, making her one of the targets of conservative advocacy.

"All of us were impressed and grateful for your rigorous review of then-Judge Kavanaugh’s judicial record, and the ridiculous allegations leveled against him,'" the letter concludes. "We ask you to review Judge Jackson’s record as thoroughly. We believe that if you review her record, you will come to the same conclusion as us: Judge Jackson should not be on the Supreme Court. We urge you to reject her nomination, as her views on crime and terrorism are deeply disturbing, and outside of the mainstream of judicial philosophy and legal guidelines."

The letter was signed by thirteen people, including American Principles Project president Terry Schilling, founder of ACT for America Brigitte Gabriel, Newsweek opinion editor Josh Hammer, and Human Events senior editor Jack Posobiec.