Sen. Kennedy Grills Biden Judicial Nominee Struggling to Define an Assault Weapon: ‘You Told the Court You’re an Expert, Just Tell Me What You Wanted to Ban’

Kennedy: “You said, quote, ‘assault weapons may be banned because they’re extraordinarily dangerous and are not appropriate for legitimate self defense purposes, close quote. Tell me what you meant by assault weapons.”
MALDONADO: “Thank you, Senator Kennedy. Just to clarify —”
Kennedy: “You’re welcome.”
MALDONADO: “— just to clarify there. I was local counsel. Our supreme —”
Kennedy: “Yeah, but you wrote the brief. Tell me what you meant by assault weapons.”
MALDONADO: “Senator Kennedy, actually, I — I did not write the brief. The brief was written by —”
Kennedy: “You signed the brief, though, didn’t you?”
MALDONADO: “Correct. I signed the brief —”
Kennedy: “And when you signed the brief you’re testifying to the court that everything in it is — it is true, right?”
MALDONADO: “Yes.”
Kennedy: “OK.”
MALDONADO: “And — and I —”
Kennedy: “So they’re your words in terms of the court, right.”
MALDONADO: “Well, I — you’re — you’re correct. Senator Kennedy.”
Kennedy: “OK.”
MALDONADO: “I would never sign —”
Kennedy: “So tell me what you meant by assault weapons.”
MALDONADO: “So I am not a gun expert. An at the time and that brief I think was about 10 —”
Kennedy: “But you’ve given the court advice about, say, ban assault weapons. What is — I’m just — you told the court you’re — you are — you are an expert. Just tell me what you wanted to ban.”
MALDONADO: “Senator sitting here today, as I said, I did not write that brief, I was local counsel.”
Kennedy: “You signed the brief.”
MALDONADO: “I understand. At — at the time that —”
Kennedy: “Tell me what you wanted to ban. That’s all what I want to know. [crosstalk]”
MALDONADO: “I — I don’t remember the exact definition of assault weapons in the ordinance that was at issue.”
Kennedy: “So you submitted a brief to the — to — an appellate brief, you signed it, and you don’t know what — and you said abolish the assault weapons and you don’t know what you wanted them to abolish?”
MALDONADO: “Senator at the time that I signed the brief, I — I read the brief because the our Supreme Court required someone — an Illinois bar member to sign the brief. I was not responsible for researching the content. I —“
Kennedy: “You were responsible for the brief. You signed it.”
MALDONADO: “Absolutely. Absolutely. And sitting here today, I do not remember the characteristics of — of — that were — that were cited in the ordinance for the assault weapons ban. It’s not an area of practice that I have specialized in. I’m sure 10 years ago, I would — I could have answered your question. And sitting here today —”
Kennedy: “And just you won’t — you won’t — you think you deserved to be promoted?”
CHAIRMAN: “Senator, your time has expired.”
Kennedy: “For this record.”
MALDONADO: “Senator, I — I stand by my record. I stand by my record.”