Reject Nomination of Joe Kent for National Counterterrorism Center Director

Today I take pen in hand to write and urge you to reject the nomination of Joe Kent as the director of the National Counterterrorism Center. It would be a grave mistake to nominate a man with so many red flags on his resume. Each presidential nominee must be qualified and free from obvious bias based on their expertise, character, and commitment to upholding the law, including: a firm dedication to preserving the independence of their respective agency from partisan influence. A proper nominee must have a proven track record of supporting or vigorously enforcing federal law, particularly civil rights laws, as well as a commitment to guarding against the weaponization of agencies; a willingness to defend against any efforts to dilute or weaken federal laws; an abiding respect for the role of government and the critical contributions of career public servants. Kent has NONE of these qualifications, quite the opposite. Instead, Kent has been associated with extremist ideologies and groups that promote racism, antisemitism, and other forms of hate. Appointing someone with such concerning connections to lead our counterterrorism efforts would undermine the integrity and effectiveness of this critical agency. Kent's past statements and affiliations call into question his ability to objectively and fairly assess threats from across the ideological spectrum. The nation's security demands a director committed to combating all forms of extremism without bias or prejudice. I urge you to thoroughly scrutinize Kent's record and reject his confirmation in order to protect the impartiality and professionalism of the National Counterterrorism Center. Reject and Vote NO on this extremist nominee. Thank you.