Chicago – July 17, 2025
A U.S. Senate committee voted on Thursday to move forward with the nomination of Emil Bove, Donald Trump’s former personal lawyer, for a position as a judge on the 3rd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals. The nomination, which was supported by all Republican members of the Senate Judiciary Committee, will now be sent to the full Senate for a vote. Bove currently works as a top official at the Justice Department.
The hearing became heated when Republican Senator Chuck Grassley of Iowa cut off debate on Bove’s nomination. Democratic Senator Cory Booker of New Jersey protested, saying that Grassley was not following the rules. Other Democrats walked out in response.
Bove’s nomination has sparked strong opposition from Democrats and some former Justice Department workers. Over 900 people signed a letter accusing him of harming the department’s reputation. However, Bove’s supporters point to his experience as a federal terrorism prosecutor in New York, where he worked on cases involving drug cartels and other threats.
Bove was appointed to a senior position in the Justice Department by Trump after helping defend him in several criminal cases. He has faced criticism for his involvement in firing career prosecutors who worked on cases related to the January 6, 2021 Capitol attack, and for his order to drop a corruption case against New York Mayor Eric Adams.
A former Justice Department lawyer also accused Bove of suggesting the government might ignore court rulings on deportations. Bove has denied these claims and rejected the idea that he acted as a “Trump enforcer.”
