Kristen Clarke Accused Of Perjury And Ethics Violations Over Domestic Violence Arrest

Kristen Clarke, the assistant attorney general for civil rights at the DOJ, is facing severe allegations of perjury and ethical misconduct following revelations that she concealed a domestic violence arrest during her Senate confirmation. The Daily Signal reported that Clarke was hit with three ethics complaints and a criminal referral on Monday.

According to the report, Clarke’s ex-husband, Reginald Avery, accused her of attacking him with a knife in 2006, an incident that led to her arrest and subsequent expungement of the record. During her confirmation, Clarke denied ever being arrested for a violent crime when questioned by Sen. Tom Cotton (R-AR).

The Article III Project, which advocates for constitutionalist judges, filed the complaints and criminal referral, calling on Attorney General Merrick Garland to investigate Clarke for making materially false statements. Founder Mike Davis pointed to Clarke’s admission of the arrest to CNN, contradicting her sworn testimony to the Senate.

Clarke defended her omission, stating the expunged record did not require disclosure and claiming she was a victim of long-term domestic abuse. Avery refuted her claims of abuse. The Article III Project argued that Clarke’s failure to disclose the arrest undermines the Senate’s role in assessing nominees.

Ethics complaints were also filed with the disciplinary counsel in New York, Washington, D.C., and the DOJ’s Office of Professional Responsibility. The New York complaint criticized Clarke for refusing to acknowledge her misrepresentation to the Senate.

Since the report’s release, there have been calls for Clarke’s resignation from several Republican lawmakers and the New York Post Editorial Board. Clarke’s confirmation was already controversial due to her past support for radical policies and contentious figures, including her defense of Mumia Abu-Jamal and promotion of defunding the police.

Clarke was confirmed in the Senate on May 25, 2021, by a narrow margin, highlighting the deep divisions over her appointment.