Monday, December 5, 2016

Top Obama Administration Officials Say Justice Department Will Keep Defending Muslims Under Trump

Riccardo Savi / Getty Images

Top Obama administration officials sought to reassure Muslim American leaders in a conference call on Monday, saying that members of the government, mainly career civil servants, will continue to fight for their civil rights after political appointees leave office in January.

“While I may be leaving in January, that the men and women that investigate and prosecute these hate crimes are deeply committed and are career attorneys and investigators who will stay on and are committed to ensuring the continuity of this work,” said Vanita Gupta, Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General at the US Department of Justice.

“We are not letting go, letting down — we are continuing to be as vigorous and aggressive as we possibly can be,” Gupta said during the call, which also included Valerie Jarrett, a senior advisor to President Obama.

The purpose of the call was to discuss a spate of alleged hate crimes around the country that were reported after Donald Trump won election in November.

A BuzzFeed News reporter identified himself as a reporter in the call sign up. Officials at the start of the call said it was off the record, but BuzzFeed News never agreed to that condition. The White House didn't immediately answer a follow up request for comment.

The purpose of the call was to discuss a spate of alleged hate crimes around the country. Many have been reported after Donald Trump won election in November.

This is a developing story. Check back for updates and follow BuzzFeed News on Twitter.



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