1. United States
2. Va.
3. Letter

Emil Bove, President Trump’s pick for a lifetime spot on a powerful federal appeals court, has a record that should make the Senate Judiciary Committee think twice. More than 75 former judges from across the political spectrum have spoken out against his nomination, calling out his “egregious record of mistreating law enforcement officers, abusing power, and disregarding the law itself.” Bove has faced multiple serious accusations of unethical—and possibly illegal—behavior during his time in top roles at the Justice Department. There are credible claims that he planned to break court orders and told law enforcement officers to do illegal things to push Trump’s harsh immigration policies. One former DOJ attorney, Erez Reuveni, has come forward as a whistleblower and says he has strong evidence—and is even willing to testify under oath. But the Senate still hasn’t let him speak. On top of that, Bove has made headlines for going after people who worked on January 6th cases and for dropping charges against a major political ally of Trump. This raises serious red flags about him using his position to protect political interests instead of upholding the law. Giving Bove a lifetime seat on the federal bench would seriously damage trust in our courts. His actions show he’s not the kind of person we want in such a powerful role. For the sake of fairness and the integrity of the justice system, the Senate should reject his nomination to the 3rd Circuit Court of Appeals.