Not much has been reported on Abid Riaz Qureshi other than he graduated cum laude from Harvard Law School, and spent his entire career at the high-profile and well-respected law firm Latham & Watkins LLP. Seems pretty qualified. Despite that, simply relying on the fact that he is Muslim, the news has sparked some ridiculous online fear mongering, including from conservative websites like Breitbart.com. They sent out this lovely tweet:
Interestingly, Breitbart’s article mentions nothing about why Qureshi’s nomination would ruin the country, nor does it mention any credentials that would make him unqualified. Instead, they write: “Qureshi currently works for the firm Latham & Watkins LLP on health care fraud and securities violations. He graduated from Harvard Law School cum laude in 1997.” Breitbart’s tweet inspired more:
And it goes on:
Of course, nothing on Qureshi’s bio indicates any desire to implement Sharia law in the United States. In fact, just the opposite.
Mr. Qureshi has particular expertise in matters involving allegations of:
- False Claims Act liability
- Violations of the federal securities laws
- Healthcare fraud and abuse
Much of the outrage appears to come from Trump supporters who also urged followers to “vote Trump.” Earlier this spring, Trump took aim at federal Judge Gonzalo Curiel because of his “Mexican heritage.”