Trump's judge pick: US President's ex-defence lawyer approved for court of appeal; whistleblower claims denied

Emil Bove, who defended Donald Trump in three out of four criminal cases after the US president’s first term, has been confirmed by the US Senate for a lifetime seat on a federal appeals court.

In one of the narrowest votes of recent times, the Senate approved Bove’s appointment to the US Court of Appeals for the 3rd Circuit by 50 votes to 49 on Tuesday evening. Every Democrat opposed the nomination, joined by two Republican senators, Lisa Murkowski of Alaska and Susan Collins of Maine, according to BBC.


Bove, 44, has been described as Trump’s most divisive judicial nominee to date. During confirmation hearings, he pushed back against criticism, saying he was not Trump’s “henchman”, and denied whistleblower accusations that he had urged staff to ignore legal limits or misled members of the Senate.

Since Trump returned to office in January, Bove has been working as principal associate deputy attorney general at the US Department of Justice. His time in that role has attracted fresh scrutiny, with Democrats accusing him of overseeing widespread dismissals of prosecutors viewed as insufficiently loyal to the president.

Two whistleblowers claimed Bove told his team that court rulings blocking Trump’s deportation policies might need to be disregarded. A third alleged he had not been truthful when speaking to senators about his involvement in dropping corruption charges against New York Mayor Eric Adams. Democrats have linked that case to a political deal, suggesting Adams agreed to support Trump’s immigration agenda in return for the case being dropped. Bove has denied all wrongdoing, BBC reported.

Despite the controversy, Republican Senator Chuck Grassley, chair of the judiciary committee, backed the nomination. “He has a strong legal background and has served his country honourably. I believe he will be diligent, capable and a fair jurist,” he said before the vote.

But Democrats were unconvinced. “Mr Bove’s primary qualification appears to be his blind loyalty to this president,” said Senator Dick Durbin, the committee’s top Democrat.

More than 900 former employees of the Justice Department signed an open letter urging the Senate to reject the nomination. A separate letter from over 75 retired state and federal judges described the move as “deeply inappropriate”, arguing that no president should appoint their own criminal defence lawyer to the judiciary.

Bove’s confirmation marks yet another Trump legal ally elevated to a powerful role. Alina Habba, who also defended Trump, now serves as the top federal prosecutor in New Jersey. Todd Blanche, another member of Trump’s legal team, has been named deputy attorney general.

Bove will now join the bench of the 3rd Circuit, which handles cases from Delaware, New Jersey and Pennsylvania.