Latest news with #JeaninePirro
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
Democrats walk out of Bove, Pirro meeting as panel advances controversial Trump nominees
The Senate Judiciary Committee gave its approval to two controversial Trump nominees Thursday, forwarding Emil Bove and Jeanine Pirro over objections from Democrats who walked out of a business meeting after debate was cut short. Bove, one of President Trump's former criminal defense attorneys who is now in the No. 3 spot in the Justice Department, has been nominated for a lifetime appointment as a jurist on the 3rd Circuit Court of Appeals. He has been accused by a whistleblower of saying the administration should consider telling the courts 'f‑‑‑ you' and defy any injunctions imposed by judges blocking their use of the Alien Enemies Act. Pirro, a former county judge and Fox News host, was confirmed as a nominee for U.S. attorney for Washington, D.C. The meeting made for an unusual scene, as Sen. Cory Booker (D-N.J.) appealed to Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) on personal terms after Grassley, the committee chair, cut off requests for continued debate and did not allow all Democrats to speak on the Bove nomination. 'You are a good man. You are a decent man, why are you doing this? What is Donald Trump saying to you that are making you do something which is violating the decorum of this committee, the rules of this committee, the decency and the respect that we have each other to at least hear each other out?' Booker said. 'This is unjust. This is wrong. It is the further deterioration of this committee's integrity with a person like this. What are you afraid of?' Booker then exited alongside the rest of his colleagues, a rare protest leaving the Democratic side of the dais completely empty. Democrats had centered most of their focus on Bove, who in addition to the whistleblower allegations, was behind the dismissal of multiple prosecutors who worked on Jan. 6 cases, and also pushed for the dismissal of bribery charges against New York Mayor Eric Adams, prompting a wave of resignations. Erez Reuveni, the whistleblower who made the complaint against Bove, was fired after a disclosure he made in a related case when he told a judge that El Salvador migrant Kilmar Abrego Garcia was deported back to his home country in error. But as the Trump administration planned to send Venezuelan men to be imprisoned in a notorious Salvadoran facility, Reuveni said he witnessed Bove suggesting court defiance was an option ahead of an episode where the administration withheld information from a judge and failed to turn around deportation flights as ordered. Reuveni has offered to appear before the Senate panel but Grassley said the disclosure smacked of 'a political hit job.' He declined to take up a motion from Booker to take a vote on hearing from the whistleblower. 'Let's start with a credible whistleblower who came forward with texts and emails that show that Mr. Bove said 'F you' to the courts and instructed federal officials to ignore a court order….I'm hard pressed to believe that someone who dedicated 15 years to public service would jeopardize the career, the safety of themselves and their families for no reason,' Booker said. Bove has said he doesn't recall whether he used the expletive but sidestepped questions about whether he floated defying court orders, telling the committee during his confirmation hearing that he 'certainly conveyed the importance of the upcoming operation.' A judge overseeing challenges to the deportation flights later found probable cause to begin an inquiry into whether the Trump administration defied his order to halt the planes. Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.) later chimed in, saying texts among Justice Department staff show the expletive-laden directive was 'so abundantly corroborated in real time communications.' 'Prosecutors don't get better corroboration than that.' Grassley called the complaint an example of 'vicious partisan attacks.' 'Like clockwork, just before a hearing or vote, we get another breathless accusation that one of President Trump's nominees needs to be investigated,' he said. 'Even if you accept most of the claims as true, there's no scandal here. Government lawyers aggressively litigating and interpreting court orders isn't misconduct—it's what lawyers do.' Beyond the whistleblower allegations, Democrats have sparred over Bove's roles in sidelining and firing prosecutors who worked on Jan. 6 cases. Bove has been the target of numerous letters urging lawmakers to reject his nomination, including 900 former Justice Department attorneys who have accused him of dismantling key functions to keep the department independent from the White House. 'Federal prosecutors, career professionals have raised strong reservations about Mr. Bove, who had undermined their legitimate work to hold accountable people who did the most horrific acts of violence,' Booker said, noting some fired prosecutors were unable to secure meetings with Republicans on the committee. '[It's] almost as if they don't want to hear the truth or the facts or the details. How can you say you were concerned about what happened on Jan. 6 and you won't listen to the people who spent months and months and months prosecuting those cases,' Booker said. Efforts to highlight Bove's role in terminations were a clear appeal to Sen. Thom Tillis (R-N.C.), who told CNN he would not support nominees who have excused Jan. 6. But Tillis backed Bove on Thursday, saying Democrats failed to show he condoned the riots. 'Does anybody really believe that if I was convinced that Bove had made any statements condoning the violent acts against Capitol police officers, that I'd be voting for him? Just ask Ed Martin whether or not that's a red line,' Tillis said, quashing the prospects of a nominee Pirro was then tapped to replace. 'We have to distinguish between those 2-or-300 thugs that I believe should still be in prison — and disagreed on the Senate floor with the president pardoning them — from the from the boneheads, that for some reason, thought they should enter the Capitol through broken windows and doors,' TIllis said. 'Do your homework on finding a hard example and count me in to refuse confirming that nominee. But don't finesse it when you simply don't have the facts on your side,' he said. The meeting ended before either side had a chance to discuss Pirro, whose nomination garnered less attention in the wake of the focus on Bove. Republicans had praised Trump for a thoughtful choice in tapping a former judge and prosecutor to lead the U.S. Attorney's Office in D.C. Pirro has already been serving in the role on an interim basis. But Democrats have argued Pirro floated false claims about the 2020 election, making her too loyal to Trump to be counted on as a fair-minded prosecutor. 'She's an election denialist, recklessly peddling President Trump's Big Lie despite even her own Fox News producers and executives warning her to reel it in,' Sen. Dick Durbin (Ill.) the top Democrat on the panel, said after a Wednesday meeting with Pirro. 'And ultimately, she's a Donald Trump loyalist, vengefully attacking his perceived political opponents and showing no willingness to put the rule of law ahead of the President's wishes.' Updated: 11:45 a.m. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
Trump calls on Thune to cancel Senate's August recess to confirm his nominees
Senators hoping for an August respite after several weeks of late-night votes may not be in luck, with President Trump asking Majority Leader Sen. John Thune (R-S.D.) Saturday to cancel the chamber's traditional late-summer recess in order to confirm his executive and judicial appointments. 'Hopefully the very talented John Thune, fresh off our many victories over the past two weeks and, indeed, 6 months, will cancel August recess (and long weekends!), in order to get my incredible nominees confirmed,' Trump wrote on Truth Social. 'We need them badly!!!' Senators are currently scheduled to confirm six Trump appointments on Monday and advance his pick to lead the Drug Enforcement Agency. Right now, members are set to take the month of August off. The threat to cancel the recess could push senators to avoid stonewalling appointments. Trump's most high-stakes nominees include Emil Bove, a lawyer for the Justice Department, to be a judge on a federal appeals court. Jeanine Pirro, a former Fox News host, is also up to be the top federal prosecutor in D.C. Bove has garnered particular opposition from Democrats over a whistleblower complaint alleging that he said the Trump administration should consider telling courts 'f— you' if they issued orders blocking migrant deportations. Bove has denied that he told lawyers in the Justice Department to violate a court order. Trump's more recent nominations include two picks for the National Labor Relations Board, which enforces union regulations. The board has not been able to function since January, when Trump fired the remaining Democratic member, leaving it without a quorum. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Reuters
5 days ago
- Reuters
Bank robber-turned Georgetown law professor convicted in domestic violence case
July 18 (Reuters) - A Georgetown University law professor who spent more than a decade in prison for bank robbery before becoming a lawyer was convicted on Friday of multiple criminal charges stemming from a September 2023 domestic violence incident. Shon Hopwood, 50, was found guilty by a District of Columbia Superior Court jury of three counts of simple assault, five counts of contempt and two counts of obstructing justice, federal prosecutors in Washington said Friday. Hopwood had spent 11 years in federal prison for robbing several banks in Nebraska when he was in his early 20s. His journey from felon to Georgetown law professor was featured on a 60 Minutes segment in 2017 billed as a "story of redemption." Hopwood's lawyer did not immediately respond to a request for comment. His sentencing is set for Sept. 18 before D.C. Superior Court Judge Errol Arthur. "A D.C. jury is demanding accountability from the batterer who not only beat his wife but was on the faculty of Georgetown Law teaching criminal law," D.C. U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro said in a statement following the verdict. Hopwood was still listed as a member of the faculty of Georgetown University Law Center as of Friday afternoon but has been on leave. A spokesperson for the law school said it respects the jury's decision and will review the matter. "Domestic violence is horrific and antithetical to our values as an institution," the spokesperson said. Prosecutors said police in September 2023 went to Hopwood's Washington home after receiving a call that his wife Ann Marie had been locked in the basement. Hopwood allegedly told police that his wife was out of town, but an officer eventually found her with a broken finger and chipped tooth, which she said she sustained during a fight several days earlier. In an application for a temporary protection order, she detailed four instances in which she said Shon Hopwood hurt her. Hopwood was originally scheduled for a non-jury trial in June 2024, but prosecutors said he tried to pressure his wife against cooperating with the government in an effort to get the case dismissed, which led to more criminal charges being filed against him. Hopwood attended the University of Washington after he was released from prison in 2009. He eventually landed a job teaching at Georgetown University Law Center, where he became a prominent advocate for criminal justice reform and mentored Tiffany Trump, daughter of President Donald J. Trump, when she was a student there.
Time of India
5 days ago
- Politics
- Time of India
Who is Jeanine Pirro? Trump's loyalist moves closer to becoming DC's top federal prosecutor; awaits full Senate confirmation
Jeanine Pirro (Image: X/@JudgeJeanine) Former Fox News host Jeanine Pirro has moved closer to becoming the top federal prosecutor for the District of Columbia, following a Senate Judiciary Committee vote on July 17 that advanced her nomination. The Republican-led Senate Judiciary Committee, after approving Jeanine Pirro's nomination, moved it forward to a full Senate vote. She has been serving as the interim US attorney for Washington DC, since mid-May. Her nomination followed President Trump's decision to withdraw Ed Martin's name after Senator Thom Tillis opposed Martin's support for defendants linked to the January 6 Capitol riot. The US attorney's office in Washington DC, plays a key role in enforcing laws involving the country's top government officials. It led more than 1,000 prosecutions related to the January 6, 2021, Capitol attack, where individuals were accused of trying to stop the peaceful transfer of power after former President Joe Biden 's 2020 election win. On his first day in office in 2025, President Trump granted clemency to all those charged in connection with the incident. Democrats on the Senate Judiciary Committee boycotted the vote, leaving Republican members to unanimously advance Pirro's nomination. Despite the technical unanimity, the Democratic minority has indicated it will challenge the legitimacy of the process through the Senate parliamentarian, as reported by USA Today. Pirro's nomination marks a highly politicized shift for the DC US attorney's office. She has remained a loyal aide to Trump. During her swearing-in ceremony as interim US attorney, Pirro spoke about her close ties with President Trump, describing him as 'one of my earliest supporters and champions' who has always stood by her. Who is Jeanine Pirro? Before entering television, Jeanine Pirro had an extensive legal career. She served as Westchester County's district attorney in New York for three consecutive terms from 1994 to 2005. There she launched the country's first domestic violence prosecution unit, according to her Justice Department biography. Pirro also served as a county judge duringher initial years of career. Pirro became a well-known conservative media figure through her work at Fox News. Her commentary often veered into conspiracy theories including false claims after the 2020 election prompting Fox executives to temporarily remove her from the air. NBC, citing Media Matters, reported that internal Fox News communications revealed through court filings showed Pirro's executive producer had described her as a 'reckless maniac' who is 'nuts,' promotes 'conspiracy theories' and 'should never be on live television.' The Washington Post reported that following the president's announcement, Jeanine Pirro has consistently been one of his most loyal supporters, often strongly criticizing his opponents using bold and strong language. Pirro is often known for her controversial remarks. In 2014, Pirro delivered a highly controversial segment in which she claimed that then-President Barack Obama was secretly training ISIS militants. The remarks were so extreme that BuzzFeed ran a headline asking, 'Is This The Craziest Rant A Fox News Host Has Ever Done?', as reported by NBC News. Her nomination will now go to the full Senate for a final confirmation vote. Unless four Republican senators vote against her, Pirro is expected to be confirmed. Former US attorney and University of Michigan law professor Barbara McQuade warned that if she gets nominated then President Trump may use Pirro as 'a tool of retribution in our nation's capital.'
Washington Post
6 days ago
- Politics
- Washington Post
Pirro clears Senate Judiciary Committee vote for D.C. U.S. attorney
Jeanine Pirro came one step closer to becoming the District of Columbia's full-time U.S. attorney on Thursday after the Senate Judiciary Committee voted to send her nomination to the Senate floor for a final vote. The committee previously blocked President Donald Trump's first choice for the role, Ed Martin, a right-wing podcaster and 'Stop the Steal' organizer with no experience as a prosecutor and a history of controversial statements.
