Emil Bove Confirmed as Federal Appeals Court Judge Despite Controversy
Emil Bove, former lawyer to Donald Trump, has been confirmed by the US Senate as a judge on the federal appeals court amid opposition and whistleblower allegations.
The US Senate confirmed Emil Bove, former defence lawyer to President Donald Trump, to a lifetime appointment on the US Court of Appeals for the 3rd Circuit, which covers Delaware, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania.
The confirmation vote was narrowly decided at 50-49, with all Democrats and two Republicans, Lisa Murkowski and Susan Collins, voting against the nomination.
Bove, 44, who defended Trump in three of the four criminal trials following his 2020 presidency, denied accusations of being merely Trump’s “henchman” during his confirmation hearings. He also refuted whistleblower claims that he instructed staff to ignore legal orders and misled senators.
Republican Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley praised Bove’s legal background and service, describing him as a “diligent, capable, and fair jurist.” Conversely, Democrat Dick Durbin criticized Bove’s qualifications, suggesting they were based mainly on “blind loyalty” to Trump.
Since January, Bove has served as principal associate deputy attorney general at the Department of Justice. Democrats have accused him of overseeing mass firings of prosecutors deemed insufficiently loyal to Trump.
Two whistleblowers claimed Bove told subordinates to disregard court orders impeding Trump’s deportation policies, while a third alleged he misled senators regarding his role in dropping corruption charges against New York Mayor Eric Adams. Democrats contend the charges were dismissed after Adams agreed to cooperate on Trump’s immigration enforcement goals, a claim Bove denies.
Opposition to Bove’s nomination was strong: over 900 former Department of Justice employees signed a letter urging withdrawal of his nomination, and more than 75 retired judges described it as “deeply inappropriate” for a president to appoint his own criminal defence attorney to a federal judgeship.
Trump has appointed several former lawyers from his defence team to government positions, including Alina Habba as New Jersey’s top federal prosecutor and Todd Blanche as deputy attorney general.
Emil Bove’s confirmation highlights ongoing partisan divides over judicial appointments and raises questions about the influence of personal loyalty in federal nominations.
This topic was reported by BBC.
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