Muslim American appeals court nominee loses Democratic support

The Kentucky Republican said in a March 21 floor speech that law enforcement organizations have opposed the nominee “for his record of associating with the most radical type of anti-police activist — those who support cop killers.”

McConnell, during the same speech, dismissed criticism that conservatives had subjected Mangi to Islamaphobic attacks.

“Senate Republicans’ opposition has absolutely nothing to do with his Muslim faith,” McConnell said. “Rather, it has everything to do with his long-standing sympathy for, and association with, some of the most radical elements in society.”

The White House has stood by their nominee, with White House Chief of Staff Jeffrey D. Zients telling NBC News in a statement that “some Senate Republicans and their extreme allies are relentlessly smearing Adeel Mangi with baseless accusations that he is anti-police.”

Senate Judiciary Chair Richard J. Durbin, D.-Ill., has defended Mangi, saying the nominee has been subjected to a “smear campaign” and should be evaluated on his record, “not on dishonest, bad-faith insinuation.”

Durbin argued that critics had used Mangi’s “minimal involvement” with the Alliance of Families for Justice to assert that he supports “cop killers.”

“Nothing could be further from the truth,” Durbin said.

“As a longtime corporate lawyer, Mr. Mangi has never said or written anything — anything — that suggests he supports individuals who have murdered members of law enforcement,” Durbin said in a floor speech earlier this month.

Mangi has also never represented an individual accused of killing a police officer, Durbin said.

Sen. Cory Booker, D-N.J., also defended Mangi in a floor speech and characterized the attacks on the nominee as unwarranted and untruthful.

“They have no basis in fact, and sadly they smack of bigotry,” Booker said. “They intend to exploit people’s fears. They intend to exploit people’s fears of his faith.”