Latest news with #WeaponizationofJustice
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Trump Taps His Own Criminal Defense Attorney For Lifetime Federal Judgeship
WASHINGTON — In a pathetic act of cowardice last year, a handful of Democrats tanked one of President Joe Biden's judicial nominees, Adeel Mangi. Mangi, who was a veteran civil litigator in New Jersey, was an objectively impressive and qualified pick. He also happened to be Muslim, so Republicans subjected him to adisgustingmonthslongsmearcampaign aimed at baselessly casting him as an antisemitic terrorist sympathizer. Despite his horrific treatment, Mangi hung in there, racking up endorsements from major Jewish organizations, and could have been confirmed if Democrats stuck together. But wary of their own reelection bids, a handful of senators chickened out and said they'd vote no. Then-Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) sealed his fate by cutting a deal with Republicans to expedite votes on a batch of judicial nominees — but not Mangi. President Donald Trump announced Wednesday whom he plans to nominate to this seat on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 3rd Circuit: his personal criminal defense attorney, Emil Bove, who is currently known as Trump's hatchet manat the Justice Department. 'Emil is SMART, TOUGH, and respected by everyone,' Trump said on social media. 'He will end the Weaponization of Justice, restore the Rule of Law, and do anything else that is necessary to, MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN. Emil Bove will never let you down!' Bove, 44, was a federal prosecutor in the Southern District of New York before leaving for a private law firm in New Jersey. Todd Blanche, who is Trump's deputy U.S. attorney general, recruited Bove to help him defend Trump in his 2024 criminal indictment trial. Bove now serves as principal associate deputy attorney general under Blanche. In his short time at the Justice Department, Bove has been abusing his role to punish people whom Trump considers his political enemies or to push out people who could stand in the way of Trump doing whatever he wants, laws be damned. Among other things, Bove forced the transfer of top career officials who were seen as a firewall against political inference at the department, which otherwise operates independently from presidential administrations in enforcing laws. He ordered the firings of federal prosecutors involved in the cases against more than 1,500 people charged in the Jan. 6, 2021, insurrection at the U.S. Capitol. Bove also demanded the FBI turn over the names of its agents assigned to Jan. 6 cases, which led to a lawsuit and attorneys for the FBI agents saying they couldn't trust that the Justice Department wouldn't give their names to Trump purely so he could retaliate against them. Carl Tobias, a law professor at the University of Richmond and a federal judicial nominations expert, said Bove's actions at the Justice Department alone 'should disqualify him for life tenure on the federal bench.' Tobias also brought up Bove's role in the Justice Department's effort to drop corruption charges against New York City Mayor Eric Adams. Adams was indicted on federal charges of bribery, fraud and soliciting illegal foreign campaign donations, but Bove pressured federal prosecutors to drop all charges in what appeared to be a brazen quid pro quo, with the administration dropping the case in exchange for Adams cooperating with Trump's immigration policies. Several career attorneys resigned from the Justice Department rather than comply with Bove's demands, including Danielle Sassoon, the top federal prosecutor in Manhattan, who wrote in her resignation letter that it was her constitutional duty to 'prosecute crimes without fear or favor.' The case was ultimately dismissed. 'Bove's DOJ efforts show that he is a Trump loyalist and lacks the qualifications, especially wisdom and temperament, to serve as a federal judge,' said Tobias. Sen. Cory Booker (D-N.J.), who recommended Mangi to Biden for this seat in 2023 and unsuccessfully fought for his confirmation, called Bove's nomination 'deeply troubling.' 'It is vital that the federal judiciary in New Jersey be committed to upholding the ideals of independence and objectivity,' Booker said in a joint statement with Sen. Andy Kim (D-N.J.). 'On this measure, Emil Bove has fallen short, repeatedly engaging in conduct as a top advisor in Trump's administration that undermines his credibility as an objective jurist.' Progressive judicial advocacy groups have denounced Bove's nomination and urged senators to oppose his confirmation to the 3rd circuit court, which has jurisdiction in New Jersey, Delaware and Pennsylvania. 'Let's speak plainly: Emil Bove is being nominated to a circuit court seat because of his proven loyalty to Trump,' Maggie Jo Buchanan, interim executive director of Demand Justice, said in a statement. 'Bove has demonstrated time and time again his willingness to use his position to advance even the most dangerous and extreme actions of this administration,' she said. 'Any member of that chamber that purports to respect our system of governance must reject this nominee as antithetical to the foundational values of our nation and our courts.' Caroline Ciccone, the president of a progressive watchdog group focused on corruption in government, said 'every American should be alarmed' by Bove's nomination. 'Bove has consistently placed his loyalty to Trump over the Constitution,' Ciccone said in a statement. 'And his lifetime appointment would all but guarantee Trump and his allies could seek out favorable rulings regardless of how unconstitutional their actions are.' Trump's first batch of judicial nominees is getting a hearing next Wednesday in the Senate Judiciary Committee, but Bove's nomination hearing hasn't been announced yet.
Time of India
3 days ago
- Politics
- Time of India
Emil Bove, ex-Trump lawyer and current DOJ official, nominated for federal appeals court judge
on Wednesday nominated Emil Bove, his former defense attorney and now a senior justice department official, for a seat on the 3rd US Circuit Court of Appeals, which hears federal cases from Delaware, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now 'Emil is SMART, TOUGH, and respected by everyone,' Trump said in a social media post announcing the nomination. "He will end the Weaponization of Justice, restore the Rule of Law, and do anything else that is necessary to, MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN. Emil Bove will never let you down!' The nomination comes amid controversy surrounding Bove's recent actions as acting deputy attorney general. Bove has played a central role in shifting the justice department's priorities since Trump returned to the White House in January. A former prosecutor in the southern district of New York, he previously represented Trump in several legal matters, including the hush money trial and federal investigations related to the 2020 election and classified documents. One of Bove's most contentious moves was his decision to end the corruption case against New York City mayor Eric Adams. That order led to the resignations of US attorney Danielle Sassoon and other top officials. Bove justified the dismissal by saying the case hindered the mayor's support of the administration's immigration strategy. His actions also extended to the January 6 investigations. Bove accused FBI agents of defying orders by not disclosing identities of those involved in the Capitol riot probe. He also dismissed prosecutors working on related cases, signaling a broader reshuffle within the department. Bove's nomination has drawn sharp criticism from Democrats. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now "Judges must be committed to upholding the rule of law, due process, and fairness," senators Cory Booker and Andy Kim of New Jersey said in a joint statement. "Emil Bove's actions have compromised our faith that he can be this." Bove assumed his current position after Todd Blanche, also a former Trump defense lawyer, became deputy attorney general. As Blanche's top adviser, Bove was appointed principal associate deputy attorney general, placing him at the heart of major departmental decisions. Before joining the justice department's top ranks, Bove spent nearly a decade prosecuting high-stakes cases, including drug cartels and terrorism suspects. His notable work includes cases involving an ex-Honduran president's brother and a domestic bomber who targeted political figures. However, his time as a prosecutor was not without controversy. In 2018, the federal public defender's office collected complaints from defense attorneys about Bove's courtroom conduct and submitted them to department leadership. Despite that, he was later promoted to a top post in the national security and narcotics division. Earlier in his career, Bove clerked for two federal judges appointed by former President George W Bush, solidifying his long-standing connections within conservative legal circles.
Indian Express
3 days ago
- Politics
- Indian Express
Trump nominates his former defense attorney Emil Bove as appellate judge
President Donald Trump said on Wednesday he was nominating Justice Department official Emil Bove, a lawyer who defended Trump when he was convicted of criminal charges over hush money paid to a porn star, to serve as a federal appeals court judge. Trump announced in a post on his social media platform Truth Social that he named Bove, the principal associate deputy attorney general, to serve as a life-tenured judge on the Philadelphia-based 3rd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals. 'He will end the Weaponization of Justice, restore the Rule of Law, and do anything else that is necessary to, MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN,' Trump wrote. 'Emil Bove will never let you down!' Bove's appointment must be approved by the Senate, which Trump's Republicans control by a 53-47 margin. Trump also said he was nominating five Floridians to serve as federal district court judges in their state: Ed Artau, Kyle Dudek, John Guard, Anne-Leigh Gaylord Moe and Jordan Pratt. The announcements brought to 11 the federal judicial nominees Trump has announced in his second term as the president adds to the conservative stamp he made on the federal judiciary with 234 appointments in his first term from 2017 to 2021. Bove represented Trump at his criminal trial in Manhattan last year alongside Todd Blanche, who is deputy U.S. attorney general. The jury in the case found Trump guilty of 34 felony counts of falsifying documents to cover up a payment made ahead of the 2016 presidential election to silence porn star Stormy Daniels, who said she had a sexual encounter with Trump years earlier. Trump has denied such an encounter and is appealing his conviction. In the first weeks after Trump returned to office in January, Bove served as acting deputy attorney general before Blanche was confirmed by the Senate in his role. Bove signed his name to a number of policy changes meant to remove what Trump calls political bias but which critics say threaten the Justice Department's traditional independence from the White House. In a confrontation that sent shockwaves through the legal profession, Bove in February instructed prosecutors with the Manhattan U.S. Attorney's office – where Bove used to work – to drop a corruption case against New York City Mayor Eric Adams. When the prosecutors refused to do so, Bove took over the case against Adams, who had pleaded not guilty, and argued in court himself – a highly unusual move for a senior Justice Department official. Ultimately, the judge overseeing the case dismissed the charges, but said the Justice Department's argument that the case should be dropped because it was interfering with the Democratic mayor's help with Trump's federal immigration crackdown 'smacks of a bargain'. Bove's order to dismiss the Adams case prompted 11 prosecutors in Washington and New York to resign. Government ethics advocacy groups, state officials and members of Congress filed ethics complaints against Bove with a New York disciplinary body for lawyers. One group, the Campaign for Accountability, on Wednesday said the body notified it that it declined to investigate Bove. Senator Dick Durbin, the top Democrat on the Senate Judiciary Committee, expressed concern over the nomination of Bove, who he said had 'abused his position in numerous ways.' 'Mr. Bove's alleged misconduct not only speaks to his fitness as a lawyer, but his activities are part of a broader pattern by President Trump and his allies to undermine the traditional independence of the Justice Department and the rule of law,' Durbin said in a statement. The 3rd Circuit, which hears appeals in cases from Delaware, Pennsylvania and New Jersey, has six active judges appointed by Republican presidents, six named by Democrats and two vacancies. Trump is nominating Bove to fill a New Jersey-based vacancy on the court, a White House official said. That seat was left vacant after Democratic former President Joe Biden's nomination of Adeel Mangi to become the nation's first Muslim federal appeals court judge stalled in the Senate following fierce Republican opposition. Earlier in his career, Bove served as co-chief of the terrorism and international narcotics unit at the Manhattan U.S. Attorney's office. As a prosecutor from 2012 through 2021, Bove secured the conviction of a former Honduran president's brother on drug charges and the guilty plea of a New York man who tried to support the Islamic State militant group.
The Sun
3 days ago
- Politics
- The Sun
Trump nominates his former defense attorney Emil Bove to serve as appellate judge
PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP said on Wednesday he was nominating Justice Department official Emil Bove, a lawyer who defended Trump when he was convicted of criminal charges over hush money paid to a porn star, to serve as a federal appeals court judge. Trump announced in a post on his social media platform Truth Social that he named Bove, the principal associate deputy attorney general, to serve as a life-tenured judge on the Philadelphia-based 3rd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals. 'He will end the Weaponization of Justice, restore the Rule of Law, and do anything else that is necessary to, MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN,' Trump wrote. 'Emil Bove will never let you down!' Bove's appointment must be approved by the Senate, which Trump's Republicans control by a 53-47 margin. Trump also said he was nominating five Floridians to serve as federal district court judges in their state: Ed Artau, Kyle Dudek, John Guard, Anne-Leigh Gaylord Moe and Jordan Pratt. The announcements brought to 11 the federal judicial nominees Trump has announced in his second term as the president adds to the conservative stamp he made on the federal judiciary with 234 appointments in his first term from 2017 to 2021. Bove represented Trump at his criminal trial in Manhattan last year alongside Todd Blanche, who is deputy U.S. attorney general. The jury in the case found Trump guilty of 34 felony counts of falsifying documents to cover up a payment made ahead of the 2016 presidential election to silence porn star Stormy Daniels, who said she had a sexual encounter with Trump years earlier. Trump has denied such an encounter and is appealing his conviction. In the first weeks after Trump returned to office in January, Bove served as acting deputy attorney general before Blanche was confirmed by the Senate in his role. Bove signed his name to a number of policy changes meant to remove what Trump calls political bias but which critics say threaten the Justice Department's traditional independence from the White House. In a confrontation that sent shockwaves through the legal profession, Bove in February instructed prosecutors with the Manhattan U.S. Attorney's office – where Bove used to work – to drop a corruption case against New York City Mayor Eric Adams. When the prosecutors refused to do so, Bove took over the case against Adams, who had pleaded not guilty, and argued in court himself - a highly unusual move for a senior Justice Department official. Ultimately, the judge overseeing the case dismissed the charges, but said the Justice Department's argument that the case should be dropped because it was interfering with the Democratic mayor's help with Trump's federal immigration crackdown 'smacks of a bargain'. Bove's order to dismiss the Adams case prompted 11 prosecutors in Washington and New York to resign. Ethics complaints Government ethics advocacy groups, state officials and members of Congress filed ethics complaints against Bove with a New York disciplinary body for lawyers. One group, the Campaign for Accountability, on Wednesday said the body notified it that it declined to investigate Bove. Senator Dick Durbin, the top Democrat on the Senate Judiciary Committee, expressed concern over the nomination of Bove, who he said had 'abused his position in numerous ways.' 'Mr. Bove's alleged misconduct not only speaks to his fitness as a lawyer, but his activities are part of a broader pattern by President Trump and his allies to undermine the traditional independence of the Justice Department and the rule of law,' Durbin said in a statement. The 3rd Circuit, which hears appeals in cases from Delaware, Pennsylvania and New Jersey, has six active judges appointed by Republican presidents, six named by Democrats and two vacancies. Trump is nominating Bove to fill a New Jersey-based vacancy on the court, a White House official said. That seat was left vacant after Democratic former President Joe Biden's nomination of Adeel Mangi to become the nation's first Muslim federal appeals court judge stalled in the Senate following fierce Republican opposition. Earlier in his career, Bove served as co-chief of the terrorism and international narcotics unit at the Manhattan U.S. Attorney's office. As a prosecutor from 2012 through 2021, Bove secured the conviction of a former Honduran president's brother on drug charges and the guilty plea of a New York man who tried to support the Islamic State militant group.
The Sun
3 days ago
- Politics
- The Sun
Trump Nominates Ex-Defense Lawyer Emil Bove as Judge
PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP said on Wednesday he was nominating Justice Department official Emil Bove, a lawyer who defended Trump when he was convicted of criminal charges over hush money paid to a porn star, to serve as a federal appeals court judge. Trump announced in a post on his social media platform Truth Social that he named Bove, the principal associate deputy attorney general, to serve as a life-tenured judge on the Philadelphia-based 3rd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals. 'He will end the Weaponization of Justice, restore the Rule of Law, and do anything else that is necessary to, MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN,' Trump wrote. 'Emil Bove will never let you down!' Bove's appointment must be approved by the Senate, which Trump's Republicans control by a 53-47 margin. Trump also said he was nominating five Floridians to serve as federal district court judges in their state: Ed Artau, Kyle Dudek, John Guard, Anne-Leigh Gaylord Moe and Jordan Pratt. The announcements brought to 11 the federal judicial nominees Trump has announced in his second term as the president adds to the conservative stamp he made on the federal judiciary with 234 appointments in his first term from 2017 to 2021. Bove represented Trump at his criminal trial in Manhattan last year alongside Todd Blanche, who is deputy U.S. attorney general. The jury in the case found Trump guilty of 34 felony counts of falsifying documents to cover up a payment made ahead of the 2016 presidential election to silence porn star Stormy Daniels, who said she had a sexual encounter with Trump years earlier. Trump has denied such an encounter and is appealing his conviction. In the first weeks after Trump returned to office in January, Bove served as acting deputy attorney general before Blanche was confirmed by the Senate in his role. Bove signed his name to a number of policy changes meant to remove what Trump calls political bias but which critics say threaten the Justice Department's traditional independence from the White House. In a confrontation that sent shockwaves through the legal profession, Bove in February instructed prosecutors with the Manhattan U.S. Attorney's office – where Bove used to work – to drop a corruption case against New York City Mayor Eric Adams. When the prosecutors refused to do so, Bove took over the case against Adams, who had pleaded not guilty, and argued in court himself - a highly unusual move for a senior Justice Department official. Ultimately, the judge overseeing the case dismissed the charges, but said the Justice Department's argument that the case should be dropped because it was interfering with the Democratic mayor's help with Trump's federal immigration crackdown 'smacks of a bargain'. Bove's order to dismiss the Adams case prompted 11 prosecutors in Washington and New York to resign. Ethics complaints Government ethics advocacy groups, state officials and members of Congress filed ethics complaints against Bove with a New York disciplinary body for lawyers. One group, the Campaign for Accountability, on Wednesday said the body notified it that it declined to investigate Bove. Senator Dick Durbin, the top Democrat on the Senate Judiciary Committee, expressed concern over the nomination of Bove, who he said had 'abused his position in numerous ways.' 'Mr. Bove's alleged misconduct not only speaks to his fitness as a lawyer, but his activities are part of a broader pattern by President Trump and his allies to undermine the traditional independence of the Justice Department and the rule of law,' Durbin said in a statement. The 3rd Circuit, which hears appeals in cases from Delaware, Pennsylvania and New Jersey, has six active judges appointed by Republican presidents, six named by Democrats and two vacancies. Trump is nominating Bove to fill a New Jersey-based vacancy on the court, a White House official said. That seat was left vacant after Democratic former President Joe Biden's nomination of Adeel Mangi to become the nation's first Muslim federal appeals court judge stalled in the Senate following fierce Republican opposition. Earlier in his career, Bove served as co-chief of the terrorism and international narcotics unit at the Manhattan U.S. Attorney's office. As a prosecutor from 2012 through 2021, Bove secured the conviction of a former Honduran president's brother on drug charges and the guilty plea of a New York man who tried to support the Islamic State militant group.
