Skip to Content

Clay Urges Judiciary Committee to Reject Ashcroft Based on Education Record

(Washington, DC) - In a letter to Chairman Patrick J. Leahy of the U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee, Congressman Wm. Lacy Clay (D-Mo) voiced concern that former Sen. John Ashcroft has a public record of refuting the U.S. Constitution's mandate for equal education and should not be confirmed as U.S. Attorney General.

As Missouri Attorney general during the 1980s, Ashcroft denounced remedies ordered by the federal court to eradicate segregated conditions in the Kansas City and St. Louis public schools, which were described by U.S. District Judge Clark as "literally rotted."

In his letter to the Judiciary Committee, Clay pointed out the following: "Under his direction, in a form of fiscal lunacy, Attorney General John Ashcroft used millions of dollars in state revenues in an effort to prevent budget resources from being spent on public school desegregation. Time and time again, Missouri taxpayers footed the costs as Attorney General Ashcroft went to court again and again only to have the State's appeals repeatedly rejected."

After losing his battles in district and federal courts to end desegregation programs, Ashcroft publicly stated that it was "one more step towards the day when federal judges control more and more institutions in our society."

"I have grave concerns that the Senator's demonstrated hostility towards equal protections guaranteed under the 14th Amendment to the Constitution suggests that he does not have the capacity to effectively pursue equal justice under law for all Americans," Clay said.