Citizens for a Pro-Business Delaware used the announcement of President. Joe Biden’s transition team and the upcoming announcement of cabinet selections to continue its criticism of Gov. John Carney’s selection of a white man to Chancery Court.
“The President confirmed his commitment to diversity while planning his transition in his home state of Delaware, where diversity in leadership is woefully inadequate,” a release stated.
The release continued, “The President-elect’s commitment stands in stark contrast to the most recent appointment by Delaware Governor John Carney, who replaced the first African American Justice on the Delaware Court of Chancery with another white man, making Andre Bouchard’s Chancery Court all-white once again. The appointment was even more disconcerting given the egregious ongoing inequality in Delaware’s judiciary compared to its prison population. While Delaware’s judiciary is only 15 percent comprised of people of color, 60% of its prison population are people of color. The governor also recently appointed a white woman, Lt. Governor Bethany Hall-Long, to lead outreach to Black communities that have been disproportionately hit by the pandemic.
“We are very encouraged to see Delaware leaders’ excitement for President-elect Biden, and we hope that it translates to an emulation of his exemplary commitment to diversity, which is disturbingly lacking in Delaware’s own leadership,” said Chris Coffey, Campaign manager for Citizens for a Pro-Business Delaware.
Citizens for a Pro-Business Delaware describes itself as a group made up of more than 5,000 members, including employees of the global translation services company TransPerfect and Delaware residents, business executives, and others.
The group formed a.political action committee that took Carney to task over his actions as governor, including treatment of inmates and judicial selections. Carney, who early in his political career worked for Biden, easily won re-election.
Citizens was formed after a bruising and expensive Chancery Court battle over the control of TransPerfect. Critics claim Philip Shawe, who eventually won control of the company, bankrolls the group.
For more information on Citizens for a Pro-Business Delaware or to join the cause, visit DelawareForBusiness.org.
