A deeply divisive nomination battle unfolded in Washington on Thursday as the Senate Judiciary Committee voted along party lines to advance Emil Bove, a former personal attorney to U.S. President Donald Trump, for a lifetime appointment to the federal Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit.
The committee session turned fiery after Democrats walked out in protest, following their failed attempt to delay the vote. They had requested time to hear testimony from a Justice Department whistleblower who recently alleged that Bove was willing to defy court orders to enforce Trump’s hardline immigration policies, a claim Bove denies.
Despite the uproar, Republicans, who hold a 53-47 majority in the Senate, unanimously approved Bove’s nomination, moving it to the full chamber for final confirmation.
Bove, 44, is currently the third-ranking official at the Justice Department and previously served as a federal prosecutor. His nomination has been met with widespread criticism over his role during Trump’s turbulent first six months in office and his close legal ties to the president.
“Mr. Bove has led the effort to weaponize the Department of Justice against the president’s enemies,” said Senator Dick Durbin, the committee’s top Democrat. “Having earned his stripes as a loyalist, he’s now being rewarded with a lifetime seat on one of the nation’s most influential courts.”
Bove represented Trump in the New York case that led to the former president’s conviction on 34 felony counts related to hush money payments, as well as in two federal criminal cases that were dropped after Trump’s re-election in 2024.
Earlier this year, Bove sparked further controversy by ordering the dismissal of bribery and fraud charges against New York Mayor Eric Adams, a move that prompted a wave of resignations within the Justice Department. Critics, including former DOJ officials, have questioned whether the decision was politically motivated, though Bove denies any impropriety.
More than 900 former Justice Department attorneys and over 75 retired judges have written to the Judiciary Committee opposing Bove’s nomination. The judges warned that nominating one’s own criminal defense attorney to a federal bench “is deeply inappropriate,” especially when loyalty to the president is a stated criterion.
The full Senate is expected to vote on Bove’s confirmation in the coming weeks, with the outcome likely to fall along similar partisan lines.
Written By Rodney Mbua
