Jun 21, 2011
Representative Scott Voted to Stop Discrimination Settlement Payments to African-American Farmers
Representative Tim Scott (SC-01) recently voted to halt payments to African-American farmers who are owed settlements for having been discriminated against. Scott voted to ban the U.S. Department of Agriculture from paying tens of thousands of African-American farmers the debt they’re owed for past discrimination. The settlement stems from the In re Black Farmers Discrimination Litigation, commonly referred to as Pigford II.
“Representative Tim Scott voted against African-American farmers getting what they are owed from discrimination settlements – flying in the face of our values of justice and fairness,” said Jesse Ferguson of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee. “African-American farmers deserve to know why Scott voted to deny them the settlements they are owed.”
Background
- Representative Tim Scott voted to stop settlement payments owed to African-American farmers settlement in a class-action discrimination law suit. [H.R. 2112, King Amendment #1, Roll Call #444, 6/16/2011]
- Settlement Originally Approved for Class Action Discrimination Lawsuit. In 1999, U.S. District Court Judge for D.C. Paul L. Friedman approved a settlement agreement in Pigford v. Glickman, a class action discrimination lawsuit between the U.S. Department of Agriculture and African-American farmers. [Congressional Research Service, 12/10/10]
- On February 18, 2010, Attorney General Holder and Secretary of Agriculture Vilsack announced a $1.25 billion settlement of these Pigford II claims. A provision in the 2008 farm bill allowed any claimant omitted from the original settlement to file a claim under Pigford II. [Congressional Research Service, 12/10/10]
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