Kamala Harris’s brother-in-law is being floated as a possible nominee for U.S. attorney general, according to reports, leading many to point out the obvious: that’s a serious conflict of interest.
Ben Crump, the attorney for George Floyd and Breonna Taylor’s families, argued for Tony West in an opinion piece this week, arguing there’s “no one more uniquely qualified for this role given this significant moment in history” than him.
West, who is married to Harris' sister Maya, is currently Uber's chief legal officer and served in both the Clinton and Obama administrations.
Under Attorney General Eric Holder, West was the third-highest ranking official and also ran the Civil Division. He led various efforts to reduce racial bias, improve procedural fairness, strengthen the relationship between communities of color and law enforcement, and hold police departments accountable.
As associate attorney general, West secured nearly $37 billion for American consumers and investors harmed by big banks during the 2008 financial crisis. He also oversaw DOJ’s efforts to protect the Affordable Care Act.
As general counsel at PepsiCo Inc., West was a strong advocate for diversity in recruitment and hiring. His reputation for integrity and effectiveness led Uber to hire him as chief legal officer to lead the effort to clean up its culture.
But West has always remained a public servant at heart. With his keen legal mind, strong character and commitment to justice, I can think of no one better to lead the Department at this time. (USA Today)
On Twitter, many argued that no matter how qualified he may be for the job, it should be a "non starter" given his relation to Harris.
Whatever Tony West's qualifications for the job might be, nominating the VP's brother-in-law to be attorney general seems like it should be a non-starter. https://t.co/8WZHTgUImT
— Matt Ford (@fordm) December 1, 2020
Why would you even say this? This is Kamala Harris's BIL, which automatically creates a huge conflict of interest. https://t.co/MLCKdhI5pV
— Professor Shorthair ???? (@mooks19) December 1, 2020
Love your work, .@AttorneyCrump, but please do not shill for nepotism in the Biden-Harris administration. There are MANY other excellent AG candidates throughout the USA. Would love to learn your other recommendations. https://t.co/OGPRVKnGi8
— LaComadre?? (@LisaMichelleEu1) December 1, 2020
No more nepotism
— CeelleAnn-Biden/Harris (@ceelle1) December 1, 2020
According to Fox News, others floated as being considered for the job include "Massachusetts Gov. Deval Patrick, who served in Obama’s justice department, California Attorney General Xavier Becerra, former Homeland Security adviser Lisa Monaco and Sally Yates, a former deputy attorney general who was fired by President Trump early in his term."
