Having begun the process by spreading Infowars-level conspiracy theories regarding the resignation of Anthony Kennedy, the Center for American Progress has now moved on to brazenly lying about the judicial record of one of the frontrunners to replace him, Amy Coney Barrett. This morning, the @WhyCourtsMatter account made the following accusation:
As a judge, Barrett sided against an African American worker in favor of a company’s “separate-but-equal arrangement,” flying in the face of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. Now, she’s up for a seat on our nation’s highest court. #SaveSCOTUS #StopBarrett pic.twitter.com/JOoQrjP8FC
— WhyCourtsMatter (@WhyCourtsMatter) July 2, 2018
The substantive description of this case is off — bizarrely off, in fact. Worse still, the decision was not written by Amy Barrett. Not only was Barrett not present on the three-judge panel that rendered the verdict, but she didn’t even take her place on the Seventh Circuit until November, 2017 — five months after the case was concluded. In fact, the ruling was penned by Judge Diane Sykes — a woman, certainly, but a completely different one.
Nor was Judge Barrett involved in any subsequent litigation, save for joining a majority of the Seventh Circuit in refusing to hear a subsequent appeal en banc.
Oops.