Tuesday, May 8, 2012

Delbert fires back at DOJ

Secretary of State Delbert Hosemann issued the following press release concerning the comments made by a Justice Department employee about Mississippi's Voter ID law:

Jackson, MS—Secretary of State Delbert Hosemann addressed the comments allegedly made by a Department of Justice (DoJ) employee, calling her remarks irresponsible.

Allegedly, United States Justice Department employee Stephanie Gyamfi posted the following statements on the social networking site, Facebook:

They never do…disgusting and shameful. Hey, that should replace the state motto! “Mississippi: Disgusting and Shameful.”…forget the magnolia state motto.”

“I find these comments unprofessional, unwarranted, irresponsible, and misguided, particularly with Mississippi’s pending voter identification submission before the Department of Justice,” says Secretary Hosemann. “I respectfully request the Department of Justice take appropriate disciplinary action against Ms. Gyamfi and to publicly clarify its own position that such a statement does not reflect the opinions of its department.”

“I do not believe,” adds Hosemann, “an employee who makes such statements should review any voter identification application by the State of Mississippi, or, for that matter, any state subject to Section 5.”

Federal law requires any voting change in Mississippi to receive preclearance from the United States Department of Justice. Gyamfi’s job description for the Department of Justice includes reviewing whether these voting changes meet the requirements of Section 5 of the Voting Rights Act.

In a conversation with Secretary Hosemann, Gyamfi said the statement was taken, “out of context.”

“A Justice Department employee stating our state is ‘disgusting and shameful’ is another indication Mississippi’s voter ID submission will not receive fair consideration,” says Secretary Hosemann. “The real problem is not the current culture of Mississippi, but the current culture of the Justice Department.”

“Our Agency has taken great strides to educate voters on the implementation of voter ID. During the initiative process, we held nine public hearings on the issue in geographically dispersed areas of the State, when State law required we only hold five,” adds Hosemann. “Those hearings were transcribed and are currently on our website, along with written comments submitted by the public. Overwhelmingly, voters expressed concern over the integrity of the election process, voter impersonation, and inaccurate and inflated voter rolls.”

Voter roll maintenance is conducted at the county level.

To read the full text of Mississippi’s voter identification legislation (House Bill 921), click the following link: http://billstatus.ls.state.ms.us/2012/pdf/history/HB/HB0921.xml.

20 comments:

Anonymous said...

Google her. She admitted to perjury and was not disciplined by the DOJ, according to what I've read.

Anonymous said...

So, since her comment was taken "out of context", I am sure she will be willing to tell us what she "really meant".

Anonymous said...

Where in the world did Gilbert get the idea that our white African-American Muslim POTUS was going to be cooperative?

Anonymous said...

Read Adams' book and you'll realize that Holder will merely replace her with another attorney hostile to VoterId.

(Btw, the two chapters detailing Ike Brown's election crimes are alone worth the price of the book. There can be NO DOUBT that some of Brown's 'techniques' have been and are being used in Hinds County -- at least.)

Ironghost said...

Give 'em Heck, Dilbert.

Anonymous said...

Delbert stands up for us all.

Anonymous said...

Delbert is just catering to the Tea Party. The Facebook comments by the DOJ employee were in response to the USM band episode during the NCAA tournament and were made in March. The comments had nothing to do with Voter ID. Delbert was just grandstanding today. That's the bottom line.

Anonymous said...

Prove it w/ some links.

Anderson said...

The C-L today:

DOJ employee Stephanie Gyamfi in mid-March wrote in a Facebook post,"Hey, that should replace the state motto! 'Mississippi: Disgusting and Shameful.' Forget the magnolia state motto." * * *

T. Christian Herren Jr., chief of the voting section of DOJ's Civil Rights Division, confirmed in a response letter dated Tuesday that Gyamfi wrote the post.

She was referring to students who chanted a racial slur during a University of Southern Mississippi basketball game, he said.

At the March 16 game, band members chanted, "Where's your green card?," at a Puerto Rican player on the opposing team.


I'm pretty sure that was a lot of people's reaction to the USM brats, which is one reason they were punished.

Would've thought that the concept of "bringing shame upon one's state" would not be so alien to Mississippians - aren't we still supposed to believe such a thing is possible?

... I don't do Facebook, but I encourage those who do to search for the remarks and check the context. I didn't wake up this a.m. and suddenly decide to believe everything in the C-L ... or everything Hosemann says, for that matter.

Anonymous said...

We know Delbert is just pandering to the Tea Party. He's a Democrat. A smart Democrat who knows the best side of each issue to declare, but a Democrat none the less.

Anonymous said...

Delbert is just catering to the Tea Party. The Facebook comments by the DOJ employee were in response to the USM band episode during the NCAA tournament and were made in March. The comments had nothing to do with Voter ID. Delbert was just grandstanding today. That's the bottom line.

I am absolutely not a TEA PRTY person and I applaud his standing up for me. I resent the comments made by the DOJ employee. ( and I resent your suggestion that only a tea party advocate could be insulted by the DOJ remarks )

It shows a strong negative bias towards mississippi by this individual.
similar to the EPA employee who wanted to 'crucify' some companies. Govt employees need to be very careful not to let personal agendas affect their work.

Anderson said...

"It shows a strong negative bias towards mississippi by this individual."

Just curious, 11:58 .. what kind of bias did you think those "green card" shouts by the USM students exhibited?

Some folks find it surprising that when Southerners act like ignorant rednecks, they get referred to as ignorant rednecks.

Shadowfax said...

What could possibly be 'racial' about a green-card chant? People of all creeds apply for them and people of all creeds ignore the requirements for legal status. It's off the subject, but, Bucky Saunders pissed in her whiskey when she kicked those kids off their scholarships.

Anonymous said...

Just curious, 11:58 .. what kind of bias did you think those "green card" shouts by the USM students exhibited?

It was 80% immaturity and 20% bias.

Anonymous said...

Surely you are not equating college kids with a DoJ employee..... Wait a minute , that is exactly what you are dong. Sorry that you are so narrowminded

Anonymous said...

This was directed toward Anderson

Surely you are not equating college kids with a DoJ employee..... Wait a minute , that is exactly what you are dong. Sorry that you are so narrowminded

Anderson said...

Apparently some of y'all have a more exalted notion of "government employees" than I have.

This is a non-story. Miss. kids behave badly, embarrass our state. People sound off about Miss. on the internet. One of those people happens to work for the federal gov't. Big deal.

I wish Hosemann had a job to do and not enough time to play the outrage game.

Anonymous said...

===> Anderson

apparently, many people around the country think that racism and bigotry and stereotypes only exist
in the south (mississippi)

Anderson said...

Sure, it takes the heat off them.

But just like with the black parents who tell their kids "you can't just be as good as everyone else, you have to be better," Mississippi parents need to teach their kids that they are being held to a different standard on such matters. Those USM kids didn't get that lesson, or managed to ignore it.

Anonymous said...

As crass and inappropriate as that USM student was, it speaks volumes of narrow and closed mindset of the individual employee at the DoJ who painted the whole state as 'disgusting and shameful'.

Not only is this DoJ employee capable of gross bias but she apparently is also intellectually dishonest enough to commit perjury.



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