House Speaker Paul Ryan

Office of the Speaker

H-232 The Capitol
Washington, D.C. 20515
November 18, 2016
Dear Mr. Ryan:
We are more than 13,000 attorneys whose political views span the ideological spectrum. We write to ask
that you call upon President-Elect Trump to rescind his appointment of Stephen Bannon as White House
Chief Strategist.
As attorneys, we swore an oath to uphold the Constitution. We committed to protect the institutions upon
which our democracy depends. We committed to provide zealous representation for all our clients,
regardless of their race, gender, religion, sexual orientation, or any other characteristic.
Mr. Bannon has demonstrated his opposition to the stable, democratic form of government that our
profession embraces and strives to maintain. His words could not be more clear: Lenin wanted to destroy
the state, and thats my goal, too . . . I want to bring everything crashing down, and destroy all of todays
establishment. This contempt for our longstanding governmental institutions has no place in a crucial
leadership position.
Mr. Bannon has also enabled and promoted white supremacy. Under his leadership, Breitbart News has
become what Mr. Bannon himself describes as "a platform for the alt-right" -- another term for white
nationalism. Through Breitbart, Mr. Bannon has intentionally legitimized racism, anti-Semitism, and
other hate-based ideologies. Such bigotry runs counter to the values enshrined in the Constitution we
promised to defend. Indeed, it threatens democracy itself by undermining the equality of all citizens.
Of course we do not dispute that Mr. Bannon has the right to voice his opinions. Indeed, some of us have
devoted our careers to safeguarding a robust First Amendment that protects individuals, the media, and
other organizations. But these extreme and hateful views do not belong in the White House.
This is not a partisan issue. The white supremacy and political insurgency that Mr. Bannon has embraced
and amplified contradicts everything we stand for as attorneys and as Americans.
President-Elect Trump has promised to be a president for all Americans. The selection of Mr. Bannon
as a key advisor communicates exactly the opposite. We call upon you to take all possible measures to
ensure that Mr. Trump rescinds his appointment of Mr. Bannon.
The signatories to this letter are speaking on their own behalf, not on the behalf of their employers or any
other individual or organization. Attorneys are listed by their name, state bar admission(s), and, where
provided, their employer. Attorneys employers are provided for identification purposes only.
NOTE: The list of signatures is currently over 650 pages long. Please contact Nancy Leong
(nleong@law.du.edu) for a complete list of signatures.