Biden judicial nominee Adeel Mangi already faces headwinds to his nomination over ties to an anti-Israel think tank that hosted terrorists on the anniversary of 9/11. Now, he’s facing the ire of police organizations over his links to a group that hails six cop killers as "freedom fighters."
Five police unions representing 280,000 officers have urged senators to oppose Mangi’s nomination for the Third Circuit Court of Appeals over his position on the advisory board of the Alliance of Families for Justice.
"The fact that Mr. Mangi, as an Advisory Board member, aligns himself with an organization advocating for the release of convicted cop-killers is seriously disturbing," said the National Sheriffs’ Association, which represents more than 3,000 sheriffs across the country. Mangi’s affiliation with the Alliance of Families for Justice "raises concerns about a potential bias against victims and law enforcement," the sheriffs’ group said.
At issue is the Alliance of Families for Justice’s support for and connection to convicted cop killers. Mangi joined the left-wing group in 2019 and is still listed as an advisory board member.
In 2021, the Alliance of Families for Justice called for the parole of former black nationalists Sundiata Acoli, Mumia Abu Jamal, Mutulu Shakur, Russell Maroon Shoatz, Jamil al-Amin, and Kamau Sadiki—all serving life sentences for murdering police officers. The alliance refers to them as "elder freedom fighters" who were set up by the FBI, the Washington Free Beacon reported.
Kathy Boudin, a member of the terrorist group Weather Underground, served on the Alliance’s board from its founding in 2016 until her death in 2022. Boudin, the mother of ousted San Francisco prosecutor Chesa Boudin, was convicted of murdering two New York police officers during an armored truck robbery with Black Liberation Army members in 1981. The Alliance of Families for Justice established a fellowship in her name last year.
The Rockland County Patrolmen’s Benevolent Association, the police union that represented the two officers murdered during Boudin’s heist, said Mangi’s affiliation with the Alliance of Families for Justice shows "his lack of care for life and the rule of law."
The opposition from police groups could put additional pressure on swing-state Democrats to vote against Mangi, who, if confirmed, will have jurisdiction over federal cases in Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and Delaware. Republicans oppose him over his advisory board position with the Rutgers Law School’s Center on Security, Race and Rights, an anti-Israel think tank that hosted anti-Semites and a convicted terrorist at an event on the20th anniversary of 9/11.
The conservative Judicial Crisis Network launched ad campaigns to call on Democratic Sens. Bob Casey (Pa.), Jon Tester (Mont.), and Sherrod Brown (Ohio) to vote against Mangi over his position at Rutgers. The White House has accused Republicans of "Islamophobia" for opposing Mangi, who would be the first Muslim to serve on a federal appeals court.
Republicans on the Senate Judiciary Committee released letters from the police groups ahead of a confirmation vote for Mangi, for which a date has not been set.
The National Association of Police Organizations, which represents 241,000 police officers, said Mangi had "made his choice" to associate with a group that "exalt[s] unrepentant killers who were convicted following legal trials in courts of law."
The New Jersey State Policemen’s Benevolent Association, which has 32,000 members, said Mangi’s "leadership and association with the Alliance of Families for Justice makes it clear he cannot be impartial in dealing with law enforcement officers." The 1,000-member State Troopers NCO Association of New Jersey said, "We strongly condemn any group who advocates in favor of those who have attacked and killed law enforcement officers."
Mangi has not responded to several requests for comment about his role at the Alliance of Families for Justice. He was not asked about the group during his confirmation hearing. The Alliance of Families for Justice did not respond to a request for comment.