President Donald Trump’s nomination of Emile Bove, who previously served as his defense attorney, for appeals court judge prompted 900 Justice Department lawyers to speak out against it.
In a letter organized by The Justice Collection, those who signed shared a “grave concern over the senseless attacks on the dedicated career employees who are the backbone of the Department.”
They alleged that “Bove has been a leader in this assault.”
The Senate Judiciary Committee plans to vote on Bove this week, and he’s expected to pass. Whether he is approved by the full Senate, however, is another matter.
“We ask that before the Judiciary Committee votes on this nomination, you rigorously examine the actions Mr. Bove has taken at DOJ and the effects they’ve had on the Department’s integrity, employees, and mission-critical work,” the letter continues. “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.”
It then walks through the allegations against Bove that came long before he was hired by Trump to serve in the DOJ.
The letter closes by saying, “Each of you was elected through a democratic process that, for nearly 250 years, has been anchored by the rule of law. But the law is only as strong as the institutions that interpret and enforce it; foremost among them, the federal judiciary and the Department of Justice. By elevating those who’ve degraded one of those institutions to lifetime seats on the other, you will have abrogated your duty to ensure that we remain a nation of laws.”