Wouldn't allow myself to become a pawn to decide this election: Barret
Oct 14, 2020
Washington [US], October 14 : Judge Amy Coney Barrett, a nominee for the Supreme Court of the United States judge by President Donald Trump on Tuesday said that she would not allow herself to be "a pawn to decide this (Presidential) election".
"I certainly hope that all members of the committee have more confidence in my integrity than to think that I would allow myself to be used as a pawn to decide this election for the American people," CNN quoted Barret at the Supreme Court confirmation hearing.
"I promise you that if I were confirmed and if an election dispute arises, both of which are ifs, that I would very seriously undertake that process and I would consider every relevant factor. I can't commit to you right now for the reasons that we've talked about before, but I do assure you of my integrity and I do assure you that I would take that question very seriously," Barrett added.
CNN reported that when one of the senators Amy Klobuchar raised the issue of Trump's plan to get his supporters to the polls to "observe voting activity" asking the judge whether it was legal to intimidate voters at the polls, Barret declined to respond directly and called it "a hypothetical situation".
"I can't characterize the facts in a hypothetical situation, and I can't apply the law to a hypothetical set of facts, Barret said.
"I can only decide cases as they come to me litigated by parties on a full record after fully engaging precedent, talking to colleagues, writing an opinion, and so I can't answer questions like that," she added.
Regarding Trump's tweets on overturning the Affordable Care Act, she said that she "cannot speak" for the President. "I can't really speak to what the President has said on Twitter...I'm 100 per cent committed to judicial independence from political pressure" adding that she is not "pre-committed" to decide any case.
The US Presidential elections are scheduled to be held on November 3, this year.
