AAPI attorney withdraws nomination for DOJ's No. 3 spot

JESSIE KONG LIU

It's an example of the Republican Party eating its young when the GOP's radical right wing turns against the moderate right wing of the party.

Jessie Kong Liu, the U.S. attorney for the District of Columbia, withdrew her name Thursday for consideration to be third-in-command at the Justice Department because some members of the GOP believed she was not conservative enough.

The seasoned lawyer overseeing the largest district in the country with over 300 attorneys, pulled out of consideration for the job because she reportedly did not want to be a distraction at a critical time for the DOJ.

Liu faced opposition from Utah GOP Sen. Mike Lee, among others, because of her association with the National Association of Women Lawyers, which sent a letter to the Senate opposing the nomination of of Samuel Alito to the U.S. Supreme Court.

As vice president, Liu's name was on the letterhead but she did not sign the letter. She, in fact, signed another letter in support of Alito's nomination.

Justice Department officials were reportedly upset at the opposition to Liu. They noted that she's a well-regarded conservative, in some ways more conservative than Lee.

"Only a moron like Mike Lee would tank President Trump's nominee, an Asian woman, for the department's No. 3 job," a senior DOJ official told CNN. "This is beyond politically stupid."

Opposition from radically right Republicans combined with Democrats who believe Liu is too conservative, effectively killed any hope that she could muster enough votes to win the nomination.

Attorney General William Barr issued a statement Thursday afternoon praising Liu and saying she "would have made an outstanding associate attorney general."

"Jessie Liu is one of the finest, most impressive people serving in the Department of Justice," Barr said the statement, adding that he would appoint her to be chairwoman of his advisory committee.

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