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Biden was also pressed about nominations for his Cabinet. Derek Johnson, president and CEO of the NAACP, warned specifically against choosing Tom Vilsack as agriculture secretary.
"Former Secretary Vilsack could have disastrous impact on voters in Georgia, " he said, raising Vilsack's handling of controversy involving Shirley Sherrod, a former Agriculture Department official who was forced to resign over comments about working with a white farmer in leaked video in 2010, when Vilsack was agriculture secretary during the Obama administration. The comments were later revealed to have been taken out of context.
"Shirley Sherrod is a civil rights legend, a hero, " Johnson said.
Biden told Johnson simply that he "can learn more about Vilsack's record" before pivoting to the election in Georgia more broadly. Biden will formally introduce Vilsack as his Agriculture Department nominee Friday.
The Biden transition team did not dispute the authenticity of the leaked audio. In a statement, a transition official said:
"President-elect Biden is the same person behind closed doors that he is public; honest, direct and realistic about the challenges facing our nation the day he is sworn in. As he made clear throughout the campaign, he believes in supporting bold and urgent reform to our criminal justice system while continuing to support law enforcement's mission to keep our communities safe. ".
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