Senate Republicans surmounted a Democrat-led filibuster attempt Thursday to advance the nomination of Emil Bove, President Trump’s personal defense lawyer and deeply controversial pick for a federal appeals court judgeship.
The 50-48 vote sets Mr. Bove up for final confirmation early next week.
Democrats have made Mr. Bove a top target for defeat, with Senate Minority Leader Charles E. Schumer labeling him one of the “nastiest” court picks ever.
Republicans weren’t swayed, linking arms with Mr. Trump to deliver on one of his loyalists. Mr. Trump nominated Mr. Bove to the 3rd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, which covers New Jersey, Delaware and Pennsylvania.
“By any objective measure, Mr. Bove is qualified,” said Sen. John Barrasso, Wyoming Republican. “But because he worked for President Trump, he is now a target of a politically motivated hit job.”
But Mr. Schumer accused Republicans of being cowed into submission by Mr. Trump.
“Mr. Bove is beyond unqualified and unworthy of the federal bench – he is an existential threat to the rule of law and our democracy as we know it,” the New York Democrat said. “He is a Trumpian henchman — the extreme of the extreme of the extreme.”
Mr. Bove has served as a high-ranking Justice Department official in the new administration, after working on Mr. Trump’s defense team as he fended off myriad criminal prosecutions over the last four years.
While at the department, Mr. Bove was involved in canceling a federal prosecution against New York Mayor Eric Adams, which critics said was a political deal to earn Mr. Adams’ cooperation on Mr. Trump’s immigration agenda.
Mr. Bove was also part of conversations over how to handle a federal judge’s attempt to block deportation flights to El Salvador in March.
A fired Justice Department lawyer who turned whistleblower claimed Mr. Bove encouraged the administration to “ignore” the judge. The lawyer, Erez Reuveni, said Mr. Bove specifically said the department should tell the court to “f—- off.”
Mr. Bove, in his hearing, saying he couldn’t “recall” if he had said those things.
“I certainly conveyed the importance of the upcoming operation,” he said.
He also specifically denied the accusation that he would be a Trump toady.
“I am not anybody’s henchman, I am not an enforcer,” he said.
Democrats had tried to get Republicans to bring Mr. Reuveni in for a hearing to air out the matter, but the GOP, in control of the committee, rebuffed that attempt.
Democrats walked out of the committee vote last week, and suggested the final tally sending Mr. Bove’s nomination to the Senate floor was invalid.
Democrats have been antagonistic to most of Mr. Trump’s nominations, including executive branch posts and judges.
But Mr. Bove has drawn the kind of attention — and vitriol — usually reserved for a Supreme Court nominee.
“He’s corrupt, he’s dangerous. Vindictive and revengeful, in a way that this administration has made a pattern of doing,” said Sen. Richard Blumenthal, Connecticut Democrat.
Sen. Cory Booker said Mr. Bove’s behavior has also shown he lacks “temperament” to be a judge.
“He has insulted the very office that he hopes to hold,” the New Jersey Democrat said.
• Stephen Dinan can be reached at sdinan@washingtontimes.com.