The Honorable Chuck Grassley Chairman U.S. Senate...Ranking Member Committee on the Judiciary U.S....
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January 9, 2017 The Honorable Chuck Grassley Chairman Committee on the Judiciary U.S. Senate Washington, DC 20510 The Honorable Dianne Feinstein Ranking Member Committee on the Judiciary U.S. Senate Washington, DC 20510 Senate Committee on the Judiciary U.S. Senate Washington, D.C. 20510 Dear Chairman Grassley, Ranking Member Feinstein, and Members of the Committee on the Judiciary, We, the undersigned organizations, write concerning the nomination of Senator Jefferson Sessions as the United States Attorney General. We urge you to use the confirmation hearings to clarify Senator Sessions’ commitment to upholding rule of law, including by supporting and enforcing anti-corruption measures, and measures to ensure accountability for human rights harms, including those committed by corporations. The U.S. government has a longstanding commitment to promoting and protecting human rights, including through its membership in the UN Human Rights Council in 2016 1 and its 1 United States Election to the Human Rights Council, U.S. DEP’T OF STATE (Oct. 28, 2016), https://www.state.gov/secretary/remarks/2016/10/263798.htm.
Transcript of The Honorable Chuck Grassley Chairman U.S. Senate...Ranking Member Committee on the Judiciary U.S....
January9,2017TheHonorableChuckGrassleyChairmanCommitteeontheJudiciaryU.S.SenateWashington,DC20510TheHonorableDianneFeinsteinRankingMemberCommitteeontheJudiciaryU.S.SenateWashington,DC20510
SenateCommitteeontheJudiciaryU.S.SenateWashington,D.C.20510DearChairmanGrassley,RankingMemberFeinstein,andMembersoftheCommitteeontheJudiciary,We,theundersignedorganizations,writeconcerningthenominationofSenatorJeffersonSessionsastheUnitedStatesAttorneyGeneral.WeurgeyoutousetheconfirmationhearingstoclarifySenatorSessions’commitmenttoupholdingruleoflaw,includingbysupportingandenforcinganti-corruptionmeasures,andmeasurestoensureaccountabilityforhumanrightsharms,includingthosecommittedbycorporations.TheU.S.governmenthasalongstandingcommitmenttopromotingandprotectinghumanrights,includingthroughitsmembershipintheUNHumanRightsCouncilin20161andits
1UnitedStatesElectiontotheHumanRightsCouncil,U.S.DEP’TOFSTATE(Oct.28,2016),https://www.state.gov/secretary/remarks/2016/10/263798.htm.
endorsementoftheUNGuidingPrinciplesonBusinessandHumanRights(UNGPs),aseminaldevelopmentinrecognizingcorporations’humanrightsresponsibilities.TheDepartmentofJusticeplaysacrucialroleinensuringtherealizationofsuchcommitmentsbyenforcingexistinglawsandadministeringjusticefairlyandimpartially,howeverpowerfulandwealthythedefendantmaybe.Whencorporationscommitwrongdoingsthathavehumanrightsimpacts,theyveryrarelyareheldtoaccount.Suchcorporateimpunityhasaperniciouseffectonoursocietyasitdeniesjusticetovictimsofthecrime,weakenstheruleoflaw,andcreatesanunevenplayingfieldforlaw-abidingbusinesses.TheDepartmentofJusticeistaskedwith“seek[ing]justpunishmentforthoseguiltyofunlawfulbehavior.”2Thisshouldincludeprosecutionofhumanrightscrimes,includingwhensuchviolationsoflawarecommittedbycorporations.Eradicatingcorruptbusinessespracticesabroadisanessentialsteptoprotectinghumanrightsandensuringcorporateaccountability.Expertshaverecognizedthatwherecorruptioniswidespread,humanrightsaresubjecttoabuse.3OneofthekeylawsincombattingcorruptionabroadistheForeignCorruptPracticesAct(FCPA)whichbarsAmericanbusinessesfrommakingcorruptpaymentstoforeignofficialsandengaginginfinancialfraud.Unlikeotherareasofthelaw,FCPAenforcementhasbeenrigorousandproveneffectiveinpunishingcorruptbusinessactorswhilepromotingeconomicgrowthbyensuringafairandcompetitivebusinessenvironment. SenatorSessionshasrecognizedtheneedforcorporateaccountabilityandthecurrentprosecutiongap.Hehasmadecommentsexpressingadesireforendingcorporateimpunity.Duringa2010confirmationhearingfortheU.S.deputyattorneygeneral,JamesCole,SenatorSessionsidentifiedCole’sprosecutionrecordoncorporatecrimesasoneofhismainareasofconcern.SenatorSessionsraiseddoubtsonthe“dangerous”philosophyofnotchargingcompaniescriminallyoutoftheconcernforcollateraldamagetotheshareholdersandemployees.Hesaid,"Normally,Iwastaughtiftheyviolatedalaw,youchargethem.Iftheydidn’tviolatethelaw,youdon’tchargethem."4ItiscriticalfortheUnitedStatestomaintainaleadershiproleonhumanrightsandtheAttorneyGeneraltocommittoupholdingsuchprinciples.Assuch,weurgeyoutousetheconfirmationprocesstoclarifySenatorSessions’viewsandcommitmentstothefollowing:2AboutDOJ,U.S.DEP’TOFJUST.,https://www.justice.gov/about(lastvisitedJan.8,2017).3SeeInternationalCouncilonHumanRightsPolicy,CorruptionandHumanRights:MakingtheConnection,23fn.33(2009)(quotingCommitteeonEconomic,SocialandCulturalRightsasstatingthat“statesfaceseriousproblemsofcorruption,whichhavenegativeeffectsonthefullexerciseofrightscoveredbythe…[ICESCR]“andquotingtheCommitteeontheRightsoftheChildasstatingthatit“remainsconcernedatthenegativeimpactcorruptionmayhaveontheallocationofalreadylimitedresourcestoeffectivelyimprovethepromotionandprotectionofchildren’srights,includingtheirrighttoeducationandhealth”)(internalcitationsomitted).4Hearing,NominationOfJamesMichaelCole,NomineeToBeDeputyAttorneyGeneral,U.S.DepartmentOfJustice,U.S.SENATEJUDICIARYCOMMITTEE98-99(Jun.15,2010),https://www.judiciary.senate.gov/imo/media/doc/CHRG-111shrg64377.pdf.
IfconfirmedastheU.S.AttorneyGeneral,
1) WillSenatorSessionsensureeffectiveprosecutionofcorporatehumanrightsabusesasakeypriorityoftheDepartmentofJustice,andensureU.S.compliancewithinternationalobligations?Whatstepswillhetaketoensurethatlawenforcementhavesufficientresources,training,andpoliticalsupporttotakeoncorporatewrongdoers?
2) WillSenatorSessionscontinuerigorousenforcementoftheFCPAanddedicatethesameorevenelevatedresourcestothisareaoflaw?Throughwhichsteps?
3) TheHumanRightsandSpecialProsecutionsSection(HRSP)withintheDepartmentofJusticewasestablishedin2010toinvestigateandprosecutecasesagainsthumanrightsviolatorsandotherinternationalcriminals.WillSenatorSessionscontinuetosupport,withresources,time,andcommitment,theHRSP?Throughwhichsteps?
Wearethankfulforyourconsideration,andlooktoyoutosafeguardtheUnitedStates’commitmenttoupholdingruleoflaw,includingbysupportingandenforcinganti-corruptionmeasures,andmeasurestoensureaccountabilityforhumanrightsharms,includingthosecommittedbycorporations.Sincerely,AmazonWatchCoalitionofImmokaleeWorkersEGJusticeFIDHGlobalWitnessGreenpeaceUSATheInternationalCorporateAccountabilityRoundtable(ICAR)InternationalRightsAdvocatesMercyInvestmentServicesNorthwestCoalitionforResponsibleInvestmentProjectonOrganizing,Development,Education,andResearch(PODER)Tri-StateCoalitionforResponsibleInvestment
