Two Democrats on the Senate Judiciary Committee want the Justice Department’s top watchdog to probe allegations against a contentious judicial nominee.
Sens. Adam Schiff (D-Calif.) and Cory Booker (D-N.J.) sent a letter Tuesday to William Blier, DOJ’s acting inspector general, asking if his office is, or already has, conducted an investigation related to Emil Bove, whom President Donald Trump has nominated to the 3rd Circuit Court of Appeals.
Bove has been dogged by accusations that he suggested defying court orders that could restrain the administration’s aggressive immigration and deportation agenda. Staff for Judiciary Chair Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) met Monday with lawyers for a new whistleblower, the third person to have publicly emerged questioning Bove’s fitness for the bench.
In the Tuesday letter obtained exclusively by POLITICO, Schiff and Booker said it is “imperative” that the Senate have “full knowledge” before taking a final vote on Bove, who has denied allegations of wrongdoing.
“In the event these whistleblower complaints and other reports have not already prompted investigations by your office, we urge you to undertake a thorough review of these disclosures and allegations,” they added.
Democrats argue that the allegations against Bove should disqualify him from a lifetime appointment to the powerful appeals court, with Schiff and Booker suggesting they support claims he “abused his authority” at DOJ. But they are also largely powerless to stop Republicans from confirming him so long as enough of their own members stick together.
A spokesperson for Grassley said the latest allegations “reek of a bad faith attempt to sink a nominee.”
The Senate is expected to take a final vote on Bove this week, though Republican leaders haven’t locked in a final time as they work through other nominations and keep a careful eye on GOP attendance.
Republicans can lose three of their own members and still let Vice President JD Vance break a tie. GOP Sens. Susan Collins of Maine and Lisa Murkowski of Alaska are both expected to oppose Bove.
Hailey Fuchs contributed to this report.