President Joe Biden’s administration is facing a huge scandal after new information suggests Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke, a senior member of Biden’s Justice Department, may have committed perjury during her confirmation hearing in 2021.
When asked by Sen. Tom Cotton, R-Ark., if she had ever been arrested for or accused of committing a violent crime since becoming a legal adult, Clarke replied “no” while under oath.
However, documents first obtained by the Daily Signal reveal that Clarke was arrested in 2006 in a domestic violence dispute, during which she allegedly stabbed her then-husband, Reginald Avery.
According to Avery, the incident occurred on July 4, 2006, while they were married and living in Maryland, resulting in a deep cut all the way to the bone on his finger.
Clarke later filed a motion to expunge the record, which was granted in 2008.
While it is unlikely that Clarke will be arrested over this potential perjury revelation, it raises questions about the precedent it sets for Democrats who may have lied on questionnaires submitted under penalty of perjury.
As the head of the Civil Rights Division, Clarke is responsible for investigations into pro-life activists who have allegedly violated the Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances Act. The FBI has been involved in these investigations, with agents even visiting individuals over their social media posts.
Critics argue that the Department of Justice has long been out of control, and the revelation about Clarke’s past only adds to concerns about the competence of those running the department.
Following the Daily Signal‘s report, Clarke admitted to the arrest and explained that lied during her confirmation process because the arrest had been expunged from her record.
“When given the option to speak about such traumatic incidents in my life, I have chosen not to. I didn’t believe during my confirmation process and I don’t believe now that I was obligated to share a fully expunged matter from my past,” she said.
Sen. Mike Lee, R-U.T., has called for Clarke’s resignation.
âKristen Clarke is in charge of enforcing civil rights laws,â Lee said. âShe enforces those laws aggressively against anyone who sneezes near an abortion clinic. And not at all against those who vandalize churches. She lied under oath during her confirmation proceedings, and should resign.â
The incident highlights the ongoing tensions between the White House and Republican lawmakers over the Biden administration’s mismanagement of the Department of Justice and the individuals chosen to lead its top divisions.