Holder cancels speech to Oklahoma police cadets

Attorney General Eric Holder has canceled a planned keynote speech before the Oklahoma City Police Department’s graduating cadet class on Thursday, following protests from conservative lawmakers.

Sgt. Jennifer Wardlow of the Oklahoma City Police Department told The Hill that no reason was given for Holder’s cancellation.

{mosads}Holder had been scheduled to speak at a Thursday graduation ceremony for graduating police cadets. But on Wednesday, Rep. James Lankford (R-Okla.), who is running for the Senate, said the attorney general held in contempt of Congress in 2012 should not be held up as a role model for the graduating cadets.

“It’s incredibly ironic that our nation’s ‘top cop,’ AG Holder, who is delinquent in producing thousands of subpoenaed documents to the House Oversight Committee, was chosen to come to Oklahoma City on Thursday to swear-in our newest police cadets,” Lankford said.

State lawmakers and activists had planned to protest Holder’s appearance.

A Justice Department spokesman did not respond to requests for comment.

Also Thursday, first lady Michelle Obama scrapped a planned graduation speech at a Kansas high school after hundreds signed a petition in protest. Many students had been upset that the first lady’s security would limit the number of friends and family able to attend. Obama will instead speak the day before the high school graduation ceremony at “Senior Recognition Day.”