Democrats on the Senate Judiciary Committee are seeking another hearing on Emil Bove’s nomination to be a circuit judge to call a whistleblower to testify.
Democrats want to hear from Erez Reuveni, a former Justice Department lawyer who alleged in a whistleblower disclosure that Bove, a senior official at the department, expressed interest in ignoring court orders related to controversial deportations.
“Mr. Reuveni has made credible allegations against Mr. Bove, which, if true, clearly disqualify him for a lifetime appointment to the federal bench,” Democrats on the judiciary committee wrote in a letter to Chair Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa. “Thus, it is imperative that the Committee hear from Mr. Reuveni, under oath, before we vote on Mr. Bove’s nomination.”
Bove is also facing criticism from dozens of former federal and state judges, who sent a letter to the top Democrat and Republican on the Judiciary Committee to urge them to reject Bove’s nomination.
The retired judges said that Bove’s “egregious record of mistreating law enforcement officers, abusing power, and disregarding the law itself disqualifies him for this position.” They pointed to Reuveni’s allegations, and slammed his handling of his response to Jan. 6 investigations and the now-dismissed criminal case against New York City Mayor Eric Adams, among other issues.
“Proceeding with this nomination, particularly in the face of credible and sworn allegations from a nonpartisan DOJ attorney that Mr. Bove violated court orders and instructed public servants to act unlawfully, would be a disservice to the constitution, to law enforcement, and to the rule of law,” they wrote.
Reached for comment, White House spokesperson Harrison Fields did not address the allegations, but instead called Bove “an incredibly talented legal mind and a staunch defender of the U.S. Constitution who will make an excellent circuit court judge.”
Fields called Bove “unquestionably qualified.”
“The President is committed to nominating constitutionalists to the bench who will restore law and order and end the weaponization of the justice system, and Emil Bove fits that mold perfectly,” Fields continued.
The Justice Department did not immediately responded to NBC News’ request for comment.
The Judiciary Committee is set to vote Thursday over whether to send Bove’s nomination to the full Senate for consideration.
Reuveni, a former government attorney, had previously said in court that Kilmar Abrego Garcia should not have been deported to a notorious El Salvador prison. He alleged in his whistleblower disclosure that he was fired for “for both doing his job and telling the truth to the court.”
