In a dramatic turn of events, Democrats on the Senate Judiciary Committee stormed out of an executive meeting just moments before a vote to advance President Donald Trump’s judicial nominee, Emil Bove, to the full floor of the Upper Chamber.
The chaotic scene highlighted growing partisan tensions as Democrats insisted on more time to debate allegations made against Bove.
Bove is a senior Justice Department official and a former defense attorney for Trump.
Sen. Cory Booker (D-NJ) led the charge, urging Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley (R-IA) to pause the proceedings.
Booker demanded that the committee allow time to consider the allegations made by Erez Reuveni.
Reuveni, a former Justice Department attorney, made allegations against Bove in a “whistleblower” report.
The report alleges that Bove “explicitly plotted to violate court orders and direct law enforcement officers to engage in illegal acts” in an effort to further Trump’s deportation agenda.
However, the allegations are backed by Justice Department officials who have taken issue with Bove’s efforts to clear out FBI and DOJ operatives who worked on cases related to Jan. 6.
Booker invoked Rule 4 of the committee rules, which would allow for additional debate time before a vote was held.
Grassley, however, rejected the request and pressed forward with the vote, prompting Democrat members to abruptly exit the hearing room in protest.
Booker’s frustration was palpable as he confronted Grassley:
“What are you afraid of?” Booker demanded after Grassley tried to speak over him and hold the vote.
“Debating this [nomination], putting things on the record — Dear God, that’s what we are here for.”
The tension reached a boiling point as Booker continued, “This lacks decency, this lacks decorum, it shows that you will not hear from your colleagues.”
With growing exasperation, Booker attempted once again to get Grassley to allow just a small window of time for further debate.
“You are a decent man,” Booker said, imploring Grassley to reconsider.
“Why are you doing this?
“What are they saying to you, that is making you do something to violate the decorum, the decency, and the respect of this committee to at least hear each other out?”
Despite Booker’s pleas, the nearly hour-long debate was cut short, and the vote proceeded along party lines.
Bove’s nomination passed the committee, but sharp objections from Democrats, most notably Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse (D-NY), lingered.
Whitehouse, joining Booker in the rebuke, accused Republicans of lacking candor and of dismissing serious allegations made by Reuveni.
Democrats also highlighted the strong opposition to Bove’s nomination, citing letters from dozens of former federal and state judges, as well as hundreds of former federal prosecutors, urging the committee to reject Bove’s nomination for a lifetime seat on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit.
Whitehouse, referencing the intense opposition to Bove, turned to Shakespeare to express his frustration.
“There’s something rotten in Denmark,” Whitehouse said, drawing a direct parallel to the process of the confirmation vote.
Booker’s final remarks before storming out of the committee room were unequivocal:
“This is wrong, sir, and I join with my colleagues in leaving,” he said, walking out with other Democrat members in protest.
The controversy stems from the nomination of Bove to serve on the Third Circuit.
The nomination has faced fierce opposition from Democrats, who have raised concerns about his qualifications and the allegations against him.
Speaking after the walkout, Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) accused Republicans of trampling over committee rules to force the vote through without due consideration of the whistleblower allegations.
“I haven’t seen anything like it in 15 years in the U.S. Senate,” Blumenthal said.
“Just overriding, roughshod, the rules of the committee to silence members [on concerns involving] the nominees for lifetime appointments.”
Blumenthal also made a strong point about the importance of adhering to established rules of procedure, regardless of political disagreements.
“We can disagree about whether they should be on the court, but not about the rules that put them there,” he added, signaling that the broader issue at hand is not just about the nominee, but about the integrity of the Senate’s confirmation process.
Bove’s nomination is now set to head to the full Senate, but with the growing controversy surrounding the whistleblower allegations, it remains to be seen whether Republicans will have enough support to confirm him or if Democrats will continue to block his appointment.
In the wake of Thursday’s dramatic walkout, one thing is clear: the fight over Trump’s judicial nominees is far from over, and both sides are digging in for a battle that will likely escalate in the coming weeks.
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