Political neutrality has never been the American Bar Association’s strong suit, but this takes the cake: In a battle between Chinese human rights lawyers and their oppressive government, the ABA just turned against the lawyers.

The Washington Post reports that the ABA has accepted millions of dollars from the U.S. government and other donors to expand its presence in China in order to help “advocate for citizens’ rights and for the rule of law.”

Now that the Chinese government has launched a crackdown on human rights lawyers, one might think this is the time for the ABA to stand up for those principles. Instead, they pulled their punches for fear of making enemies in Beijing.

It’s no wonder Chinese human rights advocates feel hung out to dry.

In yet another example of the ABA putting politics before its stated mission, the organization’s work promoting citizens’ rights and the rule of law ultimately took a back seat to placating the powers that be.

The next president can add this to their list of reasons to be skeptical of the ABA’s privileged position in our nation’s judicial selection process.