President Trump nominates Emil Bove, his former personal attorney and current top DOJ official, to be Philly-based federal appeals judge
Bove represented Trump during his criminal trial in Manhattan, and drew scrutiny at the Justice Department this year for abandoning a case against New York City's mayor.
President Donald Trump said Wednesday that he plans to nominate Emil Bove, his former personal attorney and a controversial top official at the Justice Department, to fill a vacant seat on the federal appeals court based in Philadelphia.
Trump said in a social media post that Bove, the principal associate deputy attorney general in Washington, is “SMART, TOUGH, and respected by everyone.”
“He will end the Weaponization of Justice, restore the Rule of Law, and do anything else that is necessary to, MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN,” Trump wrote.
Bove previously worked as a criminal defense attorney for Trump and, before that, served for years as a federal prosecutor in Manhattan.
He was part of the defense team when Trump was convicted last year of concealing hush-money payments to a porn star to avoid damage to his campaign as he ran for president in 2016.
And shortly after Trump returned to the White House in January, Bove became a central figure in the administration’s aggressive attempts to revamp the Justice Department. He oversaw waves of firings and resignations, promised consequences for officials who opposed immigration enforcement, and served as a key colleague to Todd Blanche, another former Trump attorney who is the department’s second-highest-ranking official. (Bove and Blanche visited Philadelphia last month to meet with interim U.S. Attorney David Metcalf and members of his staff.)
Perhaps none of those roles, however, drew as much public scrutiny as Bove’s role earlier this year in securing the dismissal of a corruption case against New York City Mayor Eric Adams. Bove ordered prosecutors in Manhattan to abandon the case, but several of them resigned instead — and effectively accused the Justice Department of seeking to arrange a quid pro quo with Adams, allegations that Bove denied.
Still, Bove’s role in the episode drew public condemnation from Senate Democrats, who now will be tasked with questioning him as he seeks confirmation for the Philadelphia-based judicial seat. The role comes with a lifetime appointment.
The appeals court, formally known as the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit, handles cases involving Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Delaware, and the Virgin Islands. There are two vacancies — one overseeing New Jersey, the other in Delaware. Trump did not say which vacancy he intended Bove to fill.
Blanche said on social media that he “couldn’t be prouder” of Bove’s nomination, and that “his dedication to this country, along with his integrity and brilliant legal mind will make him an excellent judge.”