02.10.22

Durbin Calls Out Republican Tactics To Stall U.S. Marshal Nominee For The Northern District Of Illinois

In Senate Judiciary Committee meeting, Durbin calls out Republicans for delaying vote on LaDon Reynolds and addresses gun violence in Illinois

WASHINGTON – During today’s Senate Judiciary Committee Executive Business Meeting, U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, fought back against stalling tactics by Senate Judiciary Committee Republicans, who were attempting to delay confirmation of LaDon Reynolds, nominee to serve as U.S. Marshal for the Northern District of Illinois. Durbin praised Reynolds for his qualifications for the position and expressed support for his full confirmation.

“I think he [Reynolds] will do an admirable job. I might note that this U.S. Marshal position in the Northern District of Illinois has been vacant since May 2018. We are facing serious problems with gun violence and crime in the Northern District of Illinois, and we need all hands on deck…I hope we’ll do everything we can to bring it to a vote soon,” Durbin said.

Following Durbin’s comments, U.S. Senator Tom Cotton (R-AR) made clear he would delay a floor vote for Reynolds, declaring that he would hold up votes on U.S. Marshals until the Department of Justice (DOJ) agrees to defend four Deputy U.S. Marshals in a civil lawsuit.

Reminding Cotton that Illinois is in need of a U.S. Marshal to help address gun violence in Illinois, Durbin called him out for his hypocritical stance in holding up Reynolds’ nomination.

“In a time when we’re all giving speeches on law enforcement and our respect for police and law enforcement, you’re showing your respect for law enforcement by telling me that, in the Northern District of Illinois, I have to wait on an appointment of a U.S. Marshal…No one has questioned his qualifications. You are not just punishing him, but you’re really striking out at a situation, in my state, that desperately needs attention. That is law enforcement [needed] to stop the gun violence and death. How can this be in honor of U.S. Marshals when you’re holding up a U.S. Marshal?” Durbin pushed back.

“If you’re going to make a speech about the violent crime and the death statistics that we’re seeing across the United States, you cannot make that speech and hold up the U.S. Marshal that I need in the Northern District of Illinois to execute the duties of that office. It’s long overdue,” Durbin continued.

“Don’t punish my people, who I represent, that are looking for law enforcement at the highest professional level, by denying them a U.S. Marshal one day because of your concern about some other case in another state. That is not fair to my state, and that’s not fair to this committee,” Durbin concluded.

Cotton has made it clear that he will continue to block U.S. Marshal nominees in the Senate Judiciary Committee and on the Senator floor until DOJ meets his unrelated demands.

After Durbin’s passionate call to action, Reynolds’ nomination was voted favorably out of the Senate Judiciary Committee by a voice vote.

LaDon Reynolds has served as the Chief of Police and the Emergency Preparedness Coordinator for the Oak Park Police Department in Illinois since 2019, and has served in the Oak Park Police Department since 1994. Chief Reynolds has held numerous leadership positions while at the Department, including Detective Commander from 2010 to 2017, Deputy Police Chief from 2017 to 2018, and Acting Chief of Police from 2018 to 2019.

Video of Durbin’s remarks in Committee is available here.

Audio of Durbin’s remarks in Committee is available here.

Footage of Durbin’s remarks in Committee is available here for TV Stations.

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