The Senate Judiciary Committee advanced a controversial nominee for a lifetime appointment to the 3rd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals on Thursday, despite a walkout by Democratic members.
A committee aide told Scripps News that Emil Bove’s nomination was reported out of committee by a 12-0 vote.
Bove, a former federal prosecutor, has faced sharp criticism over his close ties to President Donald Trump. He served on Trump’s legal team in criminal cases prior to the 2024 election.
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More than 900 former Department of Justice attorneys signed a letter opposing Bove’s nomination, urging the Senate Judiciary Committee to reject his appointment.
According to the Associated Press, the letter cited Bove’s alleged role in the dismissal of a case involving New York City Mayor Eric Adams, as well as whistleblower claims that Bove suggested the Justice Department might need to flout court orders.
“It is intolerable to us that anyone who disgraces the Justice Department would be promoted to one of the highest courts in the land, as it should be intolerable to anyone committed to maintaining our ordered system of justice,” the letter stated.
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Democrats also voiced concerns about the confirmation process itself.
“There are rules of this committee that say, before a nomination, senators have the right to debate and discuss the issue,” said Sen. Cory Booker, D-N.J. “They cut off those rules. They silenced the minority in the Senate.”
Republicans countered that Democrats used similar tactics when they controlled the Senate under President Joe Biden.
