Local View: AG's office always fights discrimination
The interaction between my office and the Nebraska Equal Opportunity Commission (NEOC) has been in the news lately, but it seems the facts are in short supply. The bottom line in all of this is that this office will always prosecute those who discriminate.
The Journal Star’s May 2, 2008, article said that Vince Powers’ law firm intended to sue me for not filing cases. I was not asked if I wanted to defend myself, nor were the “facts” in the article checked for veracity.
Furthermore, the Journal Star didn’t say that Mr. Powers is the National Committeeman for the Nebraska Democratic Party, with plenty of incentive to make political hay when it comes to Republican Attorneys General. This paper was his tool, hopefully unwittingly.
Since I became Attorney General in 2003, my office has filed 13 of 21 housing cases referred to us where the NEOC found reasonable cause that discrimination occurred. The contention that we have not pursued a single case is wrong.
In regard to the recent case that has garnered so much attention, our office initially did not pursue the case because there was no evidence of discrimination, not because of the tenant’s immigration status. The tenant, who was late on his rent, was asked for a copy of his driver’s license, as was every other tenant in the complex. He was not treated any differently than anyone else. In fact, he volunteered his status and asked our office not to proceed with the case.
The immigration issue came to light when I was asked whether my office would represent an illegal alien against a landlord in a civil case. My position is this: While I will always prosecute a landlord who has a pattern and practice of actual discrimination, I will not file lawsuits to seek monetary damages on behalf of illegal aliens.
Nebraska law grants the attorney general sole discretion in the filing of lawsuits. I have a legal responsibility to only file those cases that have merit. In a housing case, merit means having reliable evidence that a person was denied housing benefits because of race, color, religion, national origin, handicap, familial status or sex.
When a well-investigated case showing actual discrimination is brought to this office, we prosecute. The attorneys in my office have spent hundreds of hours working with the NEOC to better its investigations. I want to fight discrimination, and I stand ready to work with the NEOC to do so.
Jon Bruning is the Nebraska Attorney General.
The Journal Star’s May 2, 2008, article said that Vince Powers’ law firm intended to sue me for not filing cases. I was not asked if I wanted to defend myself, nor were the “facts” in the article checked for veracity.
Furthermore, the Journal Star didn’t say that Mr. Powers is the National Committeeman for the Nebraska Democratic Party, with plenty of incentive to make political hay when it comes to Republican Attorneys General. This paper was his tool, hopefully unwittingly.
Since I became Attorney General in 2003, my office has filed 13 of 21 housing cases referred to us where the NEOC found reasonable cause that discrimination occurred. The contention that we have not pursued a single case is wrong.
In regard to the recent case that has garnered so much attention, our office initially did not pursue the case because there was no evidence of discrimination, not because of the tenant’s immigration status. The tenant, who was late on his rent, was asked for a copy of his driver’s license, as was every other tenant in the complex. He was not treated any differently than anyone else. In fact, he volunteered his status and asked our office not to proceed with the case.
The immigration issue came to light when I was asked whether my office would represent an illegal alien against a landlord in a civil case. My position is this: While I will always prosecute a landlord who has a pattern and practice of actual discrimination, I will not file lawsuits to seek monetary damages on behalf of illegal aliens.
Nebraska law grants the attorney general sole discretion in the filing of lawsuits. I have a legal responsibility to only file those cases that have merit. In a housing case, merit means having reliable evidence that a person was denied housing benefits because of race, color, religion, national origin, handicap, familial status or sex.
When a well-investigated case showing actual discrimination is brought to this office, we prosecute. The attorneys in my office have spent hundreds of hours working with the NEOC to better its investigations. I want to fight discrimination, and I stand ready to work with the NEOC to do so.
Jon Bruning is the Nebraska Attorney General.
Copyright © 2002-2008 Lincoln Journal Star. All rights reserved.