Tennessee attorney general joins in condemnation of Capitol riot
Attorney General Herbert Slatery on Wednesday signed on to a statement by attorneys general from across the country condemning the deadly riot at the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6.
The letter, addressed to Acting U.S. Attorney General Jeffrey A. Rosen, calls the chaos at the Capitol a “very dark day in America,” and says the individual attorneys general are “committed to the protection of public safety, the rule of law, and the U.S. Constitution.”
In particular, the Jan. 6 violence was jarring, leaving the attorneys “appalled.”
“Worst of all, the riot resulted in the deaths of individuals, including a U.S. Capitol Police officer, and others were physically injured. Beyond these harms, the rioters’ actions temporarily paused government business of the most sacred sort in our system—certifying the result of a presidential election,” the letter said.
Slatery’s denouncement of the rioters comes just a month after backing a failed effort to delay four states from casting Electoral College votes, a longshot lawsuit touted by President Donald Trump as way to reverse the outcome of the election.
Tennessee was one of 17 conservative states to sign on to the amicus brief.
“As we stated at the time, joining Missouri’s amicus brief was consistent with our defense of Tennessee’s election laws against pandemic-related challenges. However, the Supreme Court held that Texas lacked standing and as always, we respect the Court’s authority,” Slatery spokesperson Samantha Fisher said in an email Wednesday.
Slatery also confirmed this week he is a member of the Republican Attorneys General Association. The organization’s fundraising arm, the Rule of Law Defense Fund, prior to the riot sent out a robocall encouraging people to join the pro-trump march in Washington, D.C. on Jan. 6.