Judge appointed by Bush defends lawyer facing Islamophobic attacks.

Timothy Lewis, a former Federal Judge appointed by President George H.W. Bush, recently reached out to Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer and Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell to express his concerns about the treatment of President Biden's judicial nominee by members of the GOP and a right-wing "judicial advocacy group." This group, known as the Judicial Crisis Network, has a history of leading smear campaigns against judicial nominees, including Ketanji Brown Jackson during her nomination to the Supreme Court. Lewis, who is Black, wrote a letter to both Schumer and McConnell condemning the attacks on the character and person of Adeel Mangi, a Muslim man. According to The Huffington Post, Lewis believes that Mangi's faith is the reason he is facing such vitriol from the Republican Party.

In his letter, Lewis stated, "I have been deeply disturbed by the unfounded and disturbing attacks against Adeel Mangi, and I strongly support his nomination." He went on to say, "This is a nominee who should - and ordinarily would - have widespread bipartisan support." However, instead of receiving support, Mangi has been the target of baseless accusations, including claims that he supports terrorism and is anti-Semitic. These allegations, as Lewis points out, are completely unfounded.

Not only has Mangi faced attacks from Republicans, but CNN reported that his support from the Democratic Party has also been questionable. If confirmed, Mangi would make history as the first Muslim appeals court judge. This is a significant milestone, and Lewis can relate to the importance of representation in the judiciary. In 1992, he became one of two Black judges nominated by President Bush to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 3rd Circuit, alongside Clarence Thomas.

Despite receiving praise from over 15 Jewish groups for his legal and pro bono work, as well as being rated unanimously well-qualified by the American Bar Association, Mangi has been relentlessly attacked by Republican senators and groups like the Judicial Crisis Network. The latter has falsely accused Mangi of teaching students "to hate Israel, to hate America and to support global terrorism," as well as labeling him as a "radical" and "anti-Semite." Sheila Katz, CEO of the National Council of Jewish Women, released a statement calling these attacks Islamophobic and expressing unwavering support for Mangi's nomination.

Katz and the NCJW continued, "Let us be clear: National Council of Jewish Women, a 130-year-old legacy civil rights organization, and the leading Jewish organization working on the federal courts, unequivocally denounce the Islamophobia attacks on Mr. Mangi and fully support his nomination." Lewis also drew a stark contrast between his own experience as a nominee and Mangi's, stating, "I cannot help but contrast Mr. Mangi's experience as a nominee with my own. I was treated with respect not just by senators of the party of the president who nominated me but also by the Democratic senators who held the majority. I was confirmed by unanimous consent less than a month before Election Day."

Lewis believes that if Mangi were to be rejected in this manner, it could have disastrous effects on the federal judiciary. He fears that it could deter those from underrepresented backgrounds from accepting nominations in the future due to the fear of facing baseless mistreatment. This compelled Lewis to write his letter to representatives of both parties in the Senate, denouncing the attacks on Mangi as a smear campaign. He wrote, "Unfortunately, there is a constituency in this current politicized environment for such a smear campaign directed at someone who would become the first Muslim American ever to serve on a federal appellate court. But this is not a constituency whose fears and ignorance any United States senator should entertain, let alone advance."

Senator Cory Booker, who recommended Mangi for nomination by the White House, has also voiced his support. He claims that both the Biden-Harris Administration and the White House stand behind Mangi and condemn the attacks he has faced during this process. In a statement, Booker said, "Since his nomination, Adeel Mangi has been subjected to an outrageous and unrelenting campaign of ugly, untrue Islamophobic smears. I know the White House, Senate Democratic leaders, and I stand behind Adeel Mangi 100 percent and look forward to the confirmation of America's first Muslim federal appeals court judge."

The White House, through spokesperson Andrew Bates, has also released a statement in support of Mangi. The White House has been actively lobbying members of the Senate to not give in to bigotry and hatred. Bates stated, "Mr. Mangi was approved by the Senate Judiciary Committee, and the White House continues to fight for his confirmation and to repudiate the vicious hate and bigotry with which he has been targeted because of his Muslim faith. Senior staff are calling members on his behalf every day, and no senator should cave to hateful, undignified lies."

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