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Delaware Senator To Change Vote on DOJ Nominee

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Senator Chris Coons has privately apologized to Delaware’s African American Community for voting against President Obama’s nominee to head up the civil rights division.

The Gannett Washingtion Bureau reports that two people who attended a recent meeting said that Coons agreed to reverse his March 5th vote against Debo Adegbile.

The nominee became controversial after defending Mumia Abu-Jamal who was convicted of killing a Philadelphia police officer.

Adegbile’s name appeared on a number of briefs defending Abu-Jamal in an effort to by the NAACP Defense Fund to overturn his conviction.

Law enforcement groups lobbied against the nomination and praised Coons for his vote.

The Delaware Senator was one of seven Democrats to cast their ballots against the nominee. 

The Senate vote turning down the nominee was 52-to-47.

Don Rush is the News Director at Delmarva Public Media. An award-winning journalist, Don reports major local issues of the day, from sea level rise, to urban development, to the changing demographics of Delmarva.