Attorney General
Nomination Praised by HRC

The Human Rights Campaign issued a statement Monday supporting President-elect Barack Obama's nomination of Eric H. Holder Jr. to the post of U.S. attorney general.

"In Eric Holder, President-elect Obama has chosen an attorney general who has demonstrated his dedication to civil rights, protecting communities from hate violence, and the fair and equal application of our laws," said HRC president Joe Solmonese. "Eric Holder has recognized the deleterious effect that hate and bias crimes have not just on victims but on entire communities. President-elect Obama's appointment continues to prove his commitment to the lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender community."

The statement included Holder's 1999 testimony in front of the House Judiciary Committee in which he advocated for strengthening hate-crimes protections.

"Now, unfortunately, recent events have only -- have only reinforced the need for federal hate-crimes legislation," Holder said during the testimony. "We were all horrified at the brutal murders of Billy Jack Gaither in Alabama, Matthew Shepard in Wyoming, and James Byrd in Jasper, Texas."

In the same testimony, Holder went on to mention a gay couple, Winfield Scott Mowder and Gary Matson, who were murdered in their home in Redding, Calif.

Holder served as deputy attorney general under Atty. Gen. Janet Reno during the Clinton administration. Though his nomination has been praised by many Washington insiders on both sides of the aisle, his involvement in the pardon of billionaire Marc Rich, who fled the country over tax evasion charges, could pose complications to his confirmation. (Kerry Eleveld, Advocate.com)