Senate lawmakers on Tuesday night confirmed a controversial nominee of President Donald Trump to a lifetime judge position.
Emil Bove was nominated for a federal judgeship on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit. He previously acted as U.S. deputy attorney general and was a central figure in the legal defense of high-profile Trump criminal trials, including over his handling of classified documents, election obstruction, and the New York hush-money case.
Bove’s nomination faced fierce opposition, with more than 75 former federal and state judges and more than 900 former Department of Justice attorneys publicly calling for lawmakers to block his nomination. Additionally, three whistleblowers have come forward with at least two publicly accusing Bove of encouraging officials to ignore court orders and lying about it.
The Senate’s final vote required a simple majority to pass Bove. Sahil Kapur of NBC News reported that Bove was confirmed by a narrow 50-49 vote.
He was confirmed with only Republican votes, noted Kapur, with all Democrats voting no. Sens. Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) and Susan Collins (R-ME) joined Democrats in opposing Bove.
Sen. Bill Hagerty (R-TN) was not present for the vote, Kapur noted.