With stalwart conservatives like former Texas Governor Rick Perry and Montana Rep. Ryan Zinke earning appointments to head the departments of Energy and the Interior respectively, Donald Trump’s looming cabinet doesn’t bode well for California’s largely Democratic-led government. Hence why the state legislature on Wednesday decided to hire former Attorney General Eric Holder to represent them in what will likely be numerous legal battles with Washington D.C. during the next four years.
According to the New York Times, the state Democrats’ decision to hire Holder makes perfect sense considering the “ideological battle” Trump’s potential cabinet poses to California’s political, business and environmental interests. As Kevin de León, the Democratic leader of the state Senate, explained, “Having the former attorney general of the United States brings us a lot of firepower in order to prepare to safeguard the values of the people of California… This means we are very, very serious”:
“It was very clear that it wasn’t just campaign rhetoric,” Mr. de León said of Mr. Trump’s proposals over the past year. “He was surrounding himself with people who are a very clear and present danger to the economic prosperity of California.”
In a statement regarding the announcement, Holder said he was “honored that the Legislature chose Covington to serve as its legal adviser as it considers how to respond to potential changes in federal law that could impact California’s residents and policy priorities.” The former attorney general emphasized the firm’s prowess more than his own, though he didn’t shy too far from acknowledging the political implications of de León’s statements regarding the Trump administration.
Holder, who served as the first African-American attorney general under President Barack Obama from 2009 to 2015, oversaw the administration’s involvement in the “open, transparent” investigation of the Mike Brown shooting and other national incidents. However and since stepping down, Holder became a partner at the Washington law firm Covington & Burling, which primarily represents companies and states against the federal government. Hence why California Democrats decided to hire him in the first place.
(Via New York Times)