Bombshell: Defying DOJ Instructions, Christopher Coates Will Testify on NBP Case

In a dramatic development that could shake the political leadership of the Justice Department, career lawyer Christopher Coates has sent a letter to the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights offering to testify Friday on matters related to the controversial New Black Panthers voter-intimidation case. Click here, or on the screen capture below to read Coates’ letter in PDF form:

Ten months ago, Coates — the award-winning former chief of the Voting Section of the Civil Rights Division — was subpoenaed by the Commission to testify about the case. He was subsequently instructed by DOJ officials to ignore the subpoena.

Within the past hour, commissioners were informed that Chairman Gerald Reynolds had spoken with Coates and that the chairman would reconvene the Commission’s ongoing hearing on Friday at 9:30 a.m. to hear Coates’s testimony.

The Civil Rights Commission has sought to obtain Coates’ testimony on Justice’s dismissal of the New Black Panther Party voter intimidation case in Philadelphia. In a recent request to Justice, the commission agreed to limit initial questioning of Coates to accusations made by former career lawyer J. Christian Adams about statements and other actions by Julie Fernandes, an Obama administration political appointee if DOJ produced Coates.

The DOJ refused.

Adams testified that Fernandes, a deputy assistant attorney general in the Civil Rights Division in charge of voting matters, told Voting Section leadership that the Obama administration would not file election-related cases against minority defendants — no matter the alleged violation of law.

Adams also testified that Fernandes said Justice would not enforce the provisions of Section 8 of the National Voter Registration Act (NVRA). Section 8 requires states to clean up voter registration lists on a regular basis by removing the names of ineligible voters who have died or moved away.

On Election Day 2008, two uniformed members of the New Black Panther Party — one wielding a club — were caught on video as they appeared to harass voters outside a Philadelphia polling place. The Voting Rights Section filed a civil lawsuit that the defendants did not answer, placing them in default.

However, the Justice Department dismissed virtually the entire case despite the objections of career attorneys.

Watch PJM for more on this remarkable news as it develops.

Hans A. von Spakovsky is a former career lawyer in the Civil Rights Division at the Justice Department.

I hope he lives that long.

61 posted on 09/22/2010 5:21:14 PM PDT by arthurus (Read Hazlitt's "Economics In One Lesson.")

I know relatively little about Coates. But, I did a search on him and read that he did a conference in 2008 with Former FEC Chairman, Scott Thomas.

Coates spoke on: Race and the Voting Rights Act: U.S. v. Brown
Christopher Coates, Voting Rights Section, U.S. Department of Justice

http://www.virginia.edu/uvatoday/newsRelease.php?id=4231

Does anyone here know about Coates prior to this case?

62 posted on 09/22/2010 5:21:51 PM PDT by HollyB

If this were the Clinton Administration, he could be stopped. I am not so sure that Chicago is terribly different from Arkansas.

63 posted on 09/22/2010 5:23:49 PM PDT by arthurus (Read Hazlitt's "Economics In One Lesson.")

October surprise?

The hot spot triangle is Iran, Syria and Hezbollah concerning the control of Lebanon. Rumors for a couple days about a Hezbollah coup in Lebanon. If that happened it would be with the support of Syria & Iran. Will it be war? Israel is unfortunately on their own, Obozo will side with the dark side. God Bless Israel, God Bless the United States of America and protect us both from the enemies of freedom, truth and light.

64 posted on 09/22/2010 5:45:42 PM PDT by Texas Fossil (Government, even in its best state is but a necessary evil; in its worst state an intolerable one.)

"Yep, the timing’s just a shame."

No kidding, huh? < uncontrollable snickering >

Too bad all these Impeachable Felonies are coming to light right before the GOP takes over control of both Houses of Congress. It might... just might... spell trouble for America's first gay black illegal alien President.

ROFLMFWCAO!!!!

Hey Hoosane! You wanna mess with us, you conceited idiot?!

8^D

65 posted on 09/22/2010 6:45:19 PM PDT by Gargantua (Palin-Bachman 2012... just call it "Pa-Bach" :-)

To: IrishCatholic

“treason bookmark”

treason bookmark-2

66 posted on 09/22/2010 7:36:03 PM PDT by Tomato lover

well it happened - and coates pulled no punches named names and gaves details of blatantly giving orders to NOT follow the law - if poeple don’t get fired or go to jail over this...

67 posted on 09/24/2010 10:34:59 AM PDT by Triple (Socialism denies people the right to the fruits of their labor, and is as abhorrent as slavery)

well it happened - and coates pulled no punches named names and gaves details of blatantly giving orders to NOT follow the law - if poeple don’t get fired or go to jail over this...

68 posted on 09/24/2010 10:34:59 AM PDT by Triple (Socialism denies people the right to the fruits of their labor, and is as abhorrent as slavery)

well it happened - and coates pulled no punches named names and gaves details of blatantly giving orders to NOT follow the law - if poeple don’t get fired or go to jail over this...

69 posted on 09/24/2010 10:34:59 AM PDT by Triple (Socialism denies people the right to the fruits of their labor, and is as abhorrent as slavery)

Yes, he was quite impressive. I just posted the transcript in Bloggers.

70 posted on 09/24/2010 10:37:20 AM PDT by jazusamo (His [Obama's] political base---the young, the left and the thoughtless: Thomas Sowell)

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