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They're Installing Someone With Contempt for Courts and Suppressing the Whistleblower (And Expecting Us to Not Focus on the Details)
The focal point of our discussion centers on the recent nomination of Emil Bovey III to a lifetime position as a federal appeals court judge, a decision that has raised significant concerns regarding judicial integrity and adherence to democratic principles. On July 17, 2025, a mere three days subsequent to a collective appeal from over 900 former Justice Department attorneys and 75 former federal judges urging his rejection, 12 Republican senators proceeded to confirm Bovey, a former personal attorney to Donald Trump, amidst allegations of misconduct. The expeditious manner in which this vote transpired—combined with the refusal to permit a crucial whistleblower to testify—exposes a concerted effort to undermine the Senate's constitutional responsibilities. Such actions not only reflect a troubling departure from the tenets of accountability and transparency but also signal a broader trend of prioritizing partisan loyalty over the rule of law. As we delve into this episode, we shall examine the implications of this nomination on our democratic institutions and the urgent need for active resistance against such encroachments on our judiciary.
Click to Access Sources and Episode MaterialsTakeaways:
- Emil Bove III's nomination creates unprecedented conflicts of interest - no president's personal criminal defense lawyer has ever been nominated to a federal appeals court.
- Republican senators deliberately suppressed a Justice Department whistleblower who documented Bove allegedly telling lawyers to consider telling courts "fuck you" and ignore judicial orders.
- 900 former Justice Department attorneys and 75 former federal judges opposed his nomination based on documented evidence of his contempt for judicial authority.
- Bove caused mass resignations of career prosecutors after interfering in corruption cases and led the purge of prosecutors who held January 6 rioters accountable.
- Chuck Grassley, supposedly a champion of whistleblowers, refused to allow sworn testimony that could expose Bove's unfitness for judicial office.
- Installing someone with alleged contempt for judicial authority as a federal judge destroys the principle that courts must check executive power rather than serve it.
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By Democracy Spark*The focal point of our discussion centers on the recent nomination of Emil Bovey III to a lifetime position as a federal appeals court judge, a decision that has raised significant concerns regarding judicial integrity and adherence to democratic principles. On July 17, 2025, a mere three days subsequent to a collective appeal from over 900 former Justice Department attorneys and 75 former federal judges urging his rejection, 12 Republican senators proceeded to confirm Bovey, a former personal attorney to Donald Trump, amidst allegations of misconduct. The expeditious manner in which this vote transpired—combined with the refusal to permit a crucial whistleblower to testify—exposes a concerted effort to undermine the Senate's constitutional responsibilities. Such actions not only reflect a troubling departure from the tenets of accountability and transparency but also signal a broader trend of prioritizing partisan loyalty over the rule of law. As we delve into this episode, we shall examine the implications of this nomination on our democratic institutions and the urgent need for active resistance against such encroachments on our judiciary.
Click to Access Sources and Episode MaterialsTakeaways:
- Emil Bove III's nomination creates unprecedented conflicts of interest - no president's personal criminal defense lawyer has ever been nominated to a federal appeals court.
- Republican senators deliberately suppressed a Justice Department whistleblower who documented Bove allegedly telling lawyers to consider telling courts "fuck you" and ignore judicial orders.
- 900 former Justice Department attorneys and 75 former federal judges opposed his nomination based on documented evidence of his contempt for judicial authority.
- Bove caused mass resignations of career prosecutors after interfering in corruption cases and led the purge of prosecutors who held January 6 rioters accountable.
- Chuck Grassley, supposedly a champion of whistleblowers, refused to allow sworn testimony that could expose Bove's unfitness for judicial office.
- Installing someone with alleged contempt for judicial authority as a federal judge destroys the principle that courts must check executive power rather than serve it.