Sen. David Perdue, R-Ga., is receiving criticism for blocking the confirmation process of a Latino judicial nominee.

Sudden Support Withdrawal

On Jan. 21, Perdue said his support for Dax Eric López to serve on the U.S District Court for the Northern District of Georgia is "unattainable" due to feeling "uncomfortable" with the Republican Latino's affiliation with a "controversial organization." The organization is reportedly the Georgia Association of Latino Elected Officials (GALEO).

As Latin Post reported, President Barack Obama nominated López on July 30, 2015, to serve on the District Court for the Northern District of Georgia. If confirmed by the U.S. Senate, López would become the first Latino to serve as a lifetime-appointed federal judge in Georgia. Before a full Senate vote, López would have to be approved by the Senate Judiciary Committee, which Perdue also serves. Perdue and fellow Republican Georgia Sen. John Isakson would require submitting a "blue slip," which would indicate approval of a judicial nominee to the Judiciary Committee. But Perdue has remained committed to not continue with López's confirmation process.

"After a thorough review of the professional and judicial record of DeKalb County Judge Dax Lopez, I have become uncomfortable with his longstanding participation in a controversial organization including his service on its board of directors," Perdue said in a statement. "I am particularly concerned with his continued participation with this organization and his public comments after he became a state judge. Unfortunately, our personal meeting, while cordial and informative, did not fully alleviate my concerns. Furthermore, I believe similar concerns would be raised by many of my colleagues, making Judge Lopez's final confirmation unattainable."

Blocked Due to Being Latino?

Following Perdue's decision to withdraw support for Lopez, Hispanic National Bar Association (HNBA) President Robert Maldonado expressed deep concerns with setback.

"It is hard to fathom that we are in an era of such animosity that a judicial nominee's participation in a trade association of bipartisan Latino elected officials is problematic to a U.S. Senator", said Maldonado. "Judge Lopez is qualified, experienced and well supported by a broad range of professionals for this judgeship. No one seems to be questioning his bona fides."

"We find it difficult to see how his association with GALEO can be somehow disqualifying," added Maldonado. "Our only inference is that he's unacceptable to Senator Perdue because he is a Latino who believes in Latino participatory democracy. The HNBA will meet with Senator Perdue to get clarification on his withdrawal of support."

Nancy Zirkin, executive vice president of The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights, said Lopez's work with GALEO should not have disqualified the judge, noting the organization in question is bipartisan and Lopez is a conservative. Zirkin added that Lopez should at least receive a fair hearing before the Senate Judiciary Committee where he can answer any questions in regards to his views.

"Instead, Senator Perdue made the unilateral decision to block Lopez's nomination outright, against the wishes of Georgia's other Republican U.S. Senator, Johnny Isakson, and many conservative supporters who backed Lopez as a fair-minded and well-qualified choice for the bench," said Zirkin. "Senator Perdue can hide behind immigration politics all he wants. But the reality is that no Latino has ever been confirmed to the federal bench from Georgia despite the state's growing Latino population."

"And as long as men like Senator Purdue are the gatekeepers, it's unlikely that one ever will," added Zirkin.

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For the latest updates, follow Latin Post's Politics Editor Michael Oleaga on Twitter: @EditorMikeO or contact via email: m.oleaga@latinpost.com.

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