Judiciary Committee Chairman John Conyers, Jr. (D-MI) and Congressman Jerrold Nadler (NY-08), Chair of the Judiciary Subcommittee on the Constitution, Civil Rights and Civil Liberties today remarked on the resignation of John Tanner as Chief of the Justice Department’s Voting Section of the Civil Rights Division.

“John Tanner’s resignation as Voting Section Chief at the Department of Justice provides the department with an opportunity to renew its commitment to the real problems facing voters and elections,” said Conyers. “Under the current administration, the Department of Justice has a remarkably poor record of protecting voting rights. I am hopeful that Mr. Tanner’s replacement will mark a departure from efforts to limit the participation of elderly and minority voters, and actually serve to remove obstacles to participation in the political process.”

“Mr. Tanner had a clear record of undermining the core mission of the section – protecting the right to vote,” said Nadler. “In October, my subcommittee held an investigation of the Section, where it became clear that Mr. Tanner was actively seeking to curtail that cornerstone of American democracy. The right to vote is the foundation of all our liberties and it must be protected. The departure of Mr. Tanner presents an opportunity for a fresh start of the Voting Section. I urge the Bush Administration to take this opportunity to take politics out of voting rights enforcement by appointing a new chief with a commitment to the letter and the spirit of the Voting Rights Act.”