Sen. Josh Hawley (R-MO) said Wednesday that President Joe Biden’s Supreme Court nominee “has a pattern of letting child porn offenders off the hook for their appalling crimes.”
The Missouri Republican aired his concerns about Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson in a Wednesday evening Twitter thread that expressed concerns that Jackson’s record “endangers our children.”
“I’ve been researching the record of Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson, reading her opinions, articles, interviews & speeches,” the senator said. “I’ve noticed an alarming pattern when it comes to Judge Jackson’s treatment of sex offenders, especially those preying on children.”
I’ve been researching the record of Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson, reading her opinions, articles, interviews & speeches. I’ve noticed an alarming pattern when it comes to Judge Jackson’s treatment of sex offenders, especially those preying on children
— Josh Hawley (@HawleyMO) March 16, 2022
Hawley claimed that as far back as during Jackson’s time in law school, the judge has questioned whether convicts should be made to register as sex offenders and said that it leads to “stigmatization and ostracism.”
“She’s suggested public policy is driven by a ‘climate of fear, hatred & revenge’ against sex offenders,” Hawley tweeted.
“It gets worse,” he warned. “As a member of the U.S. Sentencing Commission, Judge Jackson advocated for drastic change in how the law treats sex offenders by eliminating the existing mandatory minimum sentences for child porn.”
According to the senator, Jackson has said that some people in possession of child pornography “are in this for either the collection, or the people who are loners and find status in their participation in the community.”
Judge Jackson has said that some people who possess child porn “are in this for either the collection, or the people who are loners and find status in their participation in the community.” What community would that be? The community of child exploiters? pic.twitter.com/JDxqf9Q1AH
— Josh Hawley (@HawleyMO) March 16, 2022
“What community would that be?” Hawley asked. “The community of child exploiters.”
The Missouri Republican further said that Jackson has suggested there may be a type of “less-serious child pornography offender” whose motivation is not sexual, and noted that during Jackson’s time on the U.S. Sentencing Commission, Jackson said she “mistakingly assumed that child pornography offenders are pedophiles.”
Jackson also said that she wanted “to understand this category of nonpedophiles who obtain child pornography,” Hawley added.
“On the federal bench, Judge Jackson put her troubling views into action,” the senator tweeted. “In every single child porn case for which we can find records, Judge Jackson deviated from the federal sentencing guidelines in favor of child porn offenders.”
In United States v. Sears, the sex offender distributed more than 102 child porn videos. He also sent lewd pictures of his own 10-year-old daughter. The Guidelines recommended 97-121 months in prison. Judge Jackson gave him 71 months.
— Josh Hawley (@HawleyMO) March 16, 2022
“This is a disturbing record for any judge, but especially one nominated to the highest court in the land,” he said. “Protecting the most vulnerable shouldn’t be up for debate. Sending child predators to jail shouldn’t be controversial.”
The senator concluded by saying that the Sentencing Commission has refused to hand over all of Jackson’s records.
“In light of what we have learned, this stonewalling must end,” he said. “We must get access to all relevant records.”
The Daily Wire has not independently confirmed the senator’s claims, which come ahead of the Supreme Court nominee’s confirmation hearings next week.