Defending Civil Rights Is Not a Crime

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: [email protected]  

WASHINGTON — Maya Wiley, president and CEO of The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights, issued the following statement after Lambda Legal Attorney Carl Charles was indicted:

“This case is more than a simple allegation of misconduct; it represents an apparent abuse of prosecutorial power. We are deeply concerned that this indictment is an attempt to intimidate civil rights advocates, not to serve any true justice.

“Being a civil rights advocate is not a felony. Ultimately, this indictment and the broader context in which it occurs underscore a chilling reality: civil rights are under attack, and the protections that uphold them are being dismantled. This administration wants Americans to be scared to speak up for themselves, scared to protest, scared to fight back, scared to vote. When attorneys who fight for equality and justice are targeted, it signals a grave risk to our democracy.

“The ability to advocate for one’s beliefs and for the rights of marginalized communities, including the transgender community’s a cornerstone of a free society. When the government prosecutes lawyers for defending people’s rights, nobody’s constitutional protections are safe.” The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights is a coalition charged by its diverse membership of more than 240 national organizations to promote and protect the rights of all persons in the United States. The Leadership Conference works toward an America as good as its ideals. For more information on The Leadership Conference and its member organizations, visit www.civilrights.org 

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