Crump, attorney for George Floyd’s family, endorses Harris for Biden VP pick

Ben Crump, a civil rights lawyer who represents the family of George Floyd and other high-profile victims of police brutality, endorsed Sen. Kamala Harris (D-Calif.) to be former Vice President Joe Biden’s (D) running mate. 

“This is a time for steely-eyed public servants who play no games and demand results,” Crump wrote in a CNN op-ed. “It’s time for Sen. Kamala Harris to join Joe Biden’s ticket and, God willing, help him actualize the next phase of this movement from the White House.”

Crump is currently suing the city of Minneapolis, where Floyd was killed by police in custody on May 25. 

The death of Floyd, an unarmed Black man, sparked global outrage after bystander video surfaced of a white police officer holding Floyd down on the ground with a knee on his neck. Despite pleas from Floyd that he could not breathe, the officer did not remove his knee. Floyd became unresponsive moments later, and was pronounced dead at the hospital following the incident. 

Crump has won more than 200 police brutality suits, including those related to Trayvon Martin and Michael Brown.

Harris is one of several Black women being considered as Biden’s running mate and has gained attention in recent days after it was reported that some Democratic operatives considered her “too ambitious” and wanted her to apologize for attacking Biden during a Democratic primary debate.

“The truth is, Harris has been unraveling broken systems and confronting injustice since long before most people knew her name,” Crump said. 

The civil rights attorney also addressed issues Harris faced during her time as a prosecutor and Attorney General of California. Progressives have argued that she perpetuated racial inequalities as California’s top cop.

“Still, for anyone stuck on whether a prosecutor or attorney general can lead on justice reform, I say: check the record. I did,” Crump wrote, highlighting programs she spearheaded while in office. 

Crump said Harris is well-equipped to address the racial reckoning that was sparked by Floyd’s death, which incited ongoing protests across the country.

“I won’t parse words: A second Trump term scares the hell out of me,” Crump wrote. “I can’t stop imagining the onslaught of racism, corruption and injustice we’d all endure, with Black folks as always bearing an outsized burden.”