Senate Republicans thwarted a Democratic filibuster on Thursday, clearing the way to advance Emil Bove’s nomination to the Third U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals. Bove, who previously served as President Donald Trump’s personal defense attorney and now holds a high-ranking position at the Justice Department (DOJ), remains a controversial choice.
Democratic leaders have strongly opposed his nomination, arguing that he does not have the temperament to be a jurist. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) denounced Bove in a statement Thursday, calling him the “extreme of the extreme of the extreme” and “Trump’s worst judicial nominee to date,” even labeling him among the president's “nastiest” picks.
Earlier this month, a whistleblower came forward to publicly accuse Bove of telling DOJ attorneys in March that the department might have to say “f--- you” to courts and “ignore any such order” to push ahead with Trump's deportations under the Alien Enemies Act.
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Bove has denied these claims under oath at his Senate Judiciary hearing, insisting he never urged anyone to defy judicial orders.
The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights also condemned as “woefully inadequate” the Senate’s Thursday advancement of Bove’s nomination to the Third Circuit, denouncing both his temperament and record as disqualifying for a lifetime federal judgeship.
In a statement issued to the media, Lena Zwarensteyn, senior director of the fair courts program, sharply criticized the rush to confirm Bove, cautioning that his nomination is part of a broader effort to stack the courts with loyalists. "Mr. Bove’s nomination is part of a larger project to stack our courts with individuals who will do the president’s bidding and who will bring their bias to the bench."
She warned: “The Senate’s advancement of Emil Bove’s nomination to a lifetime seat on the Third Circuit is shameful and should alarm everyone who cares about our courts, our democracy, and the future of equal justice in America."
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Zwarensteyn added: "His woefully inadequate judicial temperament, his record of abusing power, and his efforts to seek retaliation while at the Justice Department are disqualifying. It is appalling that some senators are willing to quickly rubber-stamp this nomination while far too many reports about his conduct and involvement in subverting the rule of law go unanswered."
The group, which represents over 240 national organizations, voiced alarm that Bove's actions at DOJ — firing Jan. 6 prosecutors, pressing to drop charges against New York City Mayor Eric Adams (D), and allegedly encouraging defiance of court orders in deportation cases — reflect troubling ethical lapses and political bias.
AlterNet reached out to the DOJ for comment.
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