The waiting is over. We now know who California’s next Attorney General will be, and that gun owners can expect the same attacks on fundamental rights from the California Department of Justice they’ve experienced under the reign of Kamala Harris.
Rep. Xavier Becerra (D-Los Angeles), House Democratic Caucus Chairman, has been selected by Gov. Jerry Brown for the post. He has served in Congress for 12 terms and was seeking to become the ranking Democrat on the House Ways and Means Committee when he got the invitation from Brown.
Becerra told the LA Times it’s a “phenomenal opportunity,” and, “It means I get to be home a lot more.”
In May of this year, Becerra released a statement supporting the Gunpocalypse bills:
“We need to do everything we can to keep dangerous weapons out of the hands of dangerous people. That’s why I stand firmly with the leaders of the California Senate who recently voted for measures that will protect the health and well-being of our families, rather than the interests of the gun lobby.
“Unlike the Republican majority in Congress, California is demonstrating once again what it means to lead to end acts of gun violence that have become far too common across our nation. The tragedies in Colorado Springs, Newtown, and San Bernardino, in which we lost a resident from my district — we will not forget. Moments of silence in Congress are no substitute for real action to save our loved ones from the horrors of senseless gun violence.”
He was also a vocal proponent of “no fly/no buy” legislation. In a June 14 press conference, Becerra stated:
We can ask people to pass the legislation that Mike Thompson introduced…this bill will make sure that if you can’t fly because you’re on a no-fly list because of your potential to commit terrorist acts, then you should not be able to buy a weapon by going into a gun shop and walking out with something that can let you do your mass destruction.
There were rumors he was under consideration to be Hillary Clinton’s VP pick. In cable news appearances this summer, Becerra mischaracterized FBI Director James Comey’s findings in the Hillary Clinton email scandal.
“Director Comey said that she had no knowledge of some of those so-called classified e-mails because they were either not marked or they were not classified at the time or they were incorrectly marked….She never intended to send classified information over emails, and the FBI investigation confirms that.
What Comey actually said was that there was evidence she had knowledge, but he couldn’t prove it beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. As an attorney, Becerra would clearly understand the distinction, but instead chose to make a political point. This is a troubling characteristic in someone who will be the state’s highest-ranking law enforcement officer.
This won’t be Becerra’s first time in the attorney general’s office. He worked in the civil division from 1987 to 1990 before being elected to Congress.
Our commitment to closely watching the actions of the California Department of Justice and fighting for your civil rights doesn’t change with the departure of Kamala Harris. We will continue to be vigilant and will not allow governing by fiat.
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