Conservatives urge Susan Collins to vote 'no' on Ketanji Brown Jackson, citing judicial philosophy

On Thursday, a coalition of leaders from conservative groups sent a letter to Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine) urging her to vote against the pending confirmation of Supreme Court nominee Ketanji Brown Jackson.

The letter, signed by leaders from groups including the American Principles Project, the America First Policy Institute, the Bull Moose Project, and ACT for America, praises Collins for her "rigorous review" of Brett Kavanaugh's judicial record and the slate of allegations leveled against him during his confirmation hearing. Collins, under intense scrutiny and pressure from all sides during the Kavanaugh hearing, ultimately voted to confirm the now-justice.

Regarding Jackson's nomination, it notes several points of concern the group has identified pertaining to the judge's record, all of which were highlighted during the Senate Judiciary hearings of the past two days. Jackson's history defending prisoners at Guantanamo Bay, both in her capacity as a public defender and as a private attorney, as well as her sentencing history in child pornography cases and advocacy to eliminate mandatory minimum sentences for child porn cases are all issues underscored in the letter.

"Although we appreciate your willingness to give Senator Richard Durbin the benefit of the doubt in conducting a fair hearing, we cannot share your optimism, especially after his conduct during the confirmation process of Justice Brett Kavanaugh, in which he smeared Kavanaugh's character," reads the letter.

It continues, "On top of this, Sen. Durbin is currently blocking the release of key records which would reveal more information about Judge Jackson. This comes after Senate Democrat, including Sen. Durbin, demanded the release of millions of documents unrelated to Justice Kavanaugh's time as a judge."

Collins has, in recent weeks, has signaled that she may vote to confirm Jackson to the Supreme Court. Following a meeting on Capitol Hill in early march between the lawmaker and the judge, Collins said it is "clear that her (Jackson's) credentials and the breadth of her experience are impressive." 

Senate Democrats have enough votes to confirm Jacksons without winning over any GOP support, but a vote from Collins would deliver President Joe Biden a bipartisan victory for his first Supreme Court nomination. 

One Republican strategist close to the process told Just the News, "Senator Collins' praise of Judge Jackson is very concerning, especially in light of her (Jackson's) soft stances toward child predators. Collins' team has tried to spin this, but it’s a junior varsity effort at best. Collins must reject this radical nominee."