A Connecticut appeals court nominee is apologizing for remarks he made from the bench praising longtime segregationist and South Carolina Sen. Strom Thurmond.
Superior Court Judge Robert Downey tells a legislative committee it was not the right forum for such a comment and he wouldn’t do it again.
Downey referred to Thurmond as a great American in 2003, the day after the senator’s death.
Downey said Thurmond was a bigot and racist but later made a personal transformation, helping to appoint black federal judges and working to improve race relations.
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Downey knew Thurmond as a law student at the University of South Carolina. Thurmond helped get information from the Pentagon for a paper Downey was working on.
