'Non-responsive' Justice Dept. pressed again on Panthers case

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By Jerry Seper

The U.S. Commission on Civil Rights on Friday demanded for the second time that the Justice Department explain its dismissal of charges against members of the New Black Panther Party who disrupted a Philadelphia polling place during the November elections, saying a previous response was "largely non-responsive" and "paints the department in a poor light."

In a letter to Attorney General Eric H. Holder Jr., the commission said it is "answerable" to the president, Congress and the public to ensure that civil rights laws are enforced and that it had the authority to subpoena witnesses and documents to guarantee laws are being followed by federal agencies, including the Justice Department.

It also accused the department of failing to properly respond to members of Congress who have asked about the decision to dismiss the New Black Panther Party complaint, saying its responses to congressional inquiries also were "non-responsive" and contained "factual errors and ... questionable legal claims."

The commission's five-page letter also says the Justice Department's undated response, which was received June 20, did not answer the commission's most basic questions, "which impairs our duty to investigate potential voting deprivations and federal enforcement policies."

"We trust that your response to this letter will provide us with the information necessary to make significant progress in our investigation," the letter says.

Todd F. Gaziano, an independent member of the commission, said the Justice Department's response did not answer questions posed by the panel, adding that there were no examples, as requested, of any similar cases or any explanation of the legal standards used in judging the case.

"We are entitled to a complete and satisfactory explanation on how this decision was made," he said.

Justice spokeswoman Tracy Schmaler said the department has "an ongoing obligation to be sure that the claims it makes are supported by the facts and the law." After a "thorough review of the allegations and the evidence," she said top career Civil Rights Division lawyers determined the facts and the law did not support pursuing the claims against the New Black Panther Party members.

"We are committed to vigorous enforcement of the laws protecting anyone exercising his or her right to vote," she said.

According to the commission, the Justice Department's June 20 response, written by Portia Roberson, director of the Office of Intergovernmental and Public Liaison, provided none of the facts the commission needed to determine whether the New Black Panther Party voter-intimidation case was handled "consistently with others the department has investigated."