The head of the U.S. Justice Department's voting section apologized Tuesday for saying minorities are likely to die younger.

John Tanner, testifying before a House judiciary subcommittee, delivered his apology in a prepared statement, The Washington Post reported.

"I understand that my explanation of the data came across in a hurtful way, which I deeply regret," he said.

Tanner, defending state laws requiring voters to produce photo identification, made controversial remarks to the National Latino Congreso in Los Angeles and the Georgia NAACP. He told the Hispanic group that elderly people are less likely to have photo identification cards and are more likely to be white. He told the NAACP poor people tend to have photo IDs to use check-cashing agencies.

"Our society is such that minorities don't become elderly the way white people do," Tanner told the Congreso.

Sen. Barack Obama and other Democrats have called for his resignation. Tanner, a career employee, has been with the Justice Department almost 40 years.  // Copyright 2007 by United Press International



Publication date: 31 October 2007   

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