Trump's ex-lawyer confirmed as federal appeals court judge despite massive opposition

Washington DC - Emil Bove, President Donald Trump's former personal lawyer, was confirmed by the Senate Tuesday to become a federal appellate judge in a 50-49 partisan vote.

The Senate confirmed Emil Bove, President Donald Trump's former personal lawyer, to a post on the 3rd US Circuit Court of Appeals.
The Senate confirmed Emil Bove, President Donald Trump's former personal lawyer, to a post on the 3rd US Circuit Court of Appeals.  © REUTERS

The Republican-led Senate confirmed Bove as a judge on the 3rd US Circuit Court of Appeals, a lifetime appointment, despite fiery opposition from Democrats, who walked out of a Senate committee meeting in protest earlier this month.

Two GOP Senators – Alaska's Lisa Murkowski and Maine's Susan Collins – voted against the nomination, but Republicans hold a 53-47 majority in the chamber and were able to carry the vote anyway.

A former federal prosecutor, Bove was nominated by Trump while serving as the third-ranking official in the Justice Department.

Tim Walz deploys National Guard after serious cyberattack on Minnesota capital
Politicians Tim Walz deploys National Guard after serious cyberattack on Minnesota capital
Hegseth won't share Qatari jet cost as Trump administration accepts "unconditional donation"
Politicians Hegseth won't share Qatari jet cost as Trump administration accepts "unconditional donation"

His nomination drew fierce criticism, and Senator Dick Durbin, the ranking Democrat on the Senate Judiciary Committee, issued a statement Tuesday night lambasting Bove after he got the new job.

"Mr. Bove's primary qualification appears to be his blind loyalty to this President," Durbin said, adding that Bove sided with January 6, 2021 rioters who stormed the Capitol, and fired career prosecutors who held them to account.

New Jersey Senators Cory Booker and Andy Kim issued a joint statement saying Bove's "professional record is marred by a pattern of abusive behavior, ethical breaches, and disdain for the norms of judicial integrity."

Bove nominations sparks massive opposition

Bove has been the subject of multiple whistleblower complaints and a letter signed by over 900 former Justice Department attorneys, who opposed his nomination.
Bove has been the subject of multiple whistleblower complaints and a letter signed by over 900 former Justice Department attorneys, who opposed his nomination.  © Kevin Dietsch / GETTY IMAGES NORTH AMERICA / Getty Images via AFP

Opposition to Bove's appointment was vocal in legal circles ahead of Tuesday's vote.

More than 900 former Justice Department attorneys recently sent a letter to the Senate Judiciary Committee saying "it's intolerable to us that anyone who disgraces the Justice Department would be promoted to one of the highest courts in the land."

A group of more than 75 retired state and federal judges also wrote the committee, saying it is "deeply inappropriate for a president to nominate their own criminal defense attorney for a federal judgeship."

Marjorie Taylor Greene becomes first MAGA Republican to call Israel's assault on Gaza a "genocide"
Marjorie Taylor Greene Marjorie Taylor Greene becomes first MAGA Republican to call Israel's assault on Gaza a "genocide"
Lauren Boebert goes on the defense after her son is arrested for child abuse
Lauren Boebert Lauren Boebert goes on the defense after her son is arrested for child abuse

Bove represented Trump in the New York case that ended in his conviction on 34 counts of falsifying business records to cover up hush money payments to a porn star.

He also defended Trump in two federal criminal cases which never reached trial and were shut down after Trump won the 2024 presidential election.

Earlier this year, Bove ordered federal prosecutors to drop bribery and fraud charges against New York Mayor Eric Adams, triggering a wave of resignations in the Manhattan US attorney's office and the Justice Department in Washington.

He has also been the subject of multiple whistleblower complaints.

Bove has denied allegations that the decision was a quid pro quo in exchange for the Democratic mayor's support for Trump's attack on immigrants' rights.

Cover photo: REUTERS

More on Donald Trump: