They're Installing Someone With Contempt for Courts and Suppressing the Whistleblower
And Expecting Us to Not Focus on the Details
On Thursday morning, July 17th, while most Americans were planning their weekend, twelve Republican senators voted to install Emil Bove III—Trump's personal criminal defense lawyer—into a lifetime position as a federal appeals court judge.¹ This happened just 72 hours after more than 900 former Justice Department attorneys and 75 former federal judges urged the Senate to reject his nomination.⁵ The vote was 12-0, because every single Democrat walked out of the hearing room in protest after Chairman Chuck Grassley cut off debate and refused to allow Justice Department whistleblower Erez Reuveni to testify under oath about Bove's alleged misconduct.³
When someone seeking to become a federal judge allegedly tells government lawyers they might need to "consider telling the courts 'fuck you' and ignore any such court order," that should disqualify them immediately.⁴ Instead, Republicans made sure we couldn't hear the evidence under oath.
This creates a systematic attack on the constitutional principle that judges must respect the rule of law above personal loyalty. Bove spent months as Trump's personal attorney defending him against federal criminal charges, then moved directly into the Justice Department's third-highest position, and now seeks to rule on cases involving the very administration he served.
And I Say, Oh HELL, No
This is not okay. This is not normal. And we cannot let them pretend it is.
Danielle Sassoon spent years as a federal prosecutor going after corruption. Real corruption. The kind that hurts communities and destroys trust in government. She was good at her job—so good that she became the acting U.S. attorney for the Southern District of New York.² And when Emil Bove interfered with her corruption case against Eric Adams, she said "I'm out" and resigned. Think about that. A career prosecutor walked away from her life's work rather than be part of whatever Bove was doing.
That tells you everything you need to know about this guy's character.
We're talking about putting Trump's personal lawyer—the guy who defended him in criminal court—on the federal bench for life. Let's think about what that means. This isn't some political appointment where the next president can fix it. This is forever. And when nearly a thousand legal professionals—people who've spent their careers in courtrooms, who know what judicial temperament looks like—when they write a letter saying this guy "sent shockwaves through the ranks" and caused "mass departures," we should listen.²
But here's what really gets me: Chuck Grassley. This man built his entire reputation on protecting whistleblowers. For decades, if you were a government employee who saw wrongdoing and wanted to speak up, Chuck Grassley was your guy. And last week? He refused to let a Justice Department whistleblower testify under oath about Bove telling lawyers to consider saying "fuck you" to federal judges.
Chuck Grassley. Protecting the powerful from whistleblowers.
That's how far we've fallen. That's how completely they've abandoned everything they claimed to stand for. And if Chuck Grassley won't defend whistleblowers when it matters, then we have to defend ourselves.
Here's What They Don't Want Us to Focus On
Grassley claims the whistleblower allegations represent "a political hit job done for maximum media splash with minimum substance."⁴ This is deliberate misdirection. Reuveni volunteered to testify under oath—the gold standard for credibility that Grassley himself has demanded from whistleblowers for decades.⁴ Reuveni produced text messages, emails, and other documents backing up his claims.⁴ When someone offers to swear an oath and face perjury charges for lying, that's evidence of judicial misconduct by a nominee, not a "hit job."
Republicans want us to focus on Bove's qualifications as a prosecutor instead of his actions as Trump's enforcer. They highlight his previous federal prosecutor experience while ignoring his role in purging Justice Department lawyers who prosecuted January 6 rioters. They want us to debate legal technicalities instead of recognizing that they're installing someone who allegedly counseled defiance of court orders as a federal judge with the power to issue those same orders.
They especially don't want us to focus on what this confirmation process reveals about the Senate itself. This isn't about whether Bove is qualified—it's about whether your senators will fulfill their constitutional duty to reject nominees with disqualifying character defects. When a committee chairman suppresses evidence of judicial misconduct to rush through an appointment, the Senate has abandoned its role as a constitutional check on executive power. The institution meant to protect us from unfit nominees has become complicit in installing them.
Most importantly, they don't want us to focus on what this says about Republican senators' character. Every Republican who votes for Bove knows about the whistleblower allegations. They know about the mass resignations of career prosecutors. They know about his role in corrupting law enforcement for political purposes. They're choosing to install him anyway because they value party loyalty over constitutional responsibility. This isn't a failure of the system—it's Republican senators deliberately breaking the system to serve Trump's interests.
What We Deserve
We deserve federal judges who demonstrate unwavering commitment to the rule of law above personal or political loyalty. Independent judges protect constitutional rights even when it's politically unpopular, defend the powerless against the powerful, and serve as the final check on executive and legislative overreach. We deserve judges who respect court orders, understand that judicial authority comes from the Constitution rather than political favor, and maintain the dignity and impartiality that make justice possible.
We deserve a Senate confirmation process that thoroughly investigates nominees' fitness for judicial service. This means hearing from whistleblowers under oath, examining documented evidence of misconduct, and putting constitutional principles above partisan loyalty. When 900 former Justice Department attorneys and 75 former federal judges raise alarm about a nominee's qualifications, we deserve senators who take those concerns seriously rather than rushing to suppress evidence of misconduct.
We deserve senators who understand that federal judgeships aren't rewards for political service. The president's personal attorney should face higher scrutiny for judicial appointment, not protection from accountability. We deserve confirmation hearings that explore potential conflicts of interest, examine the nominee's respect for judicial independence, and ensure that appointees will serve the Constitution rather than the president who nominated them.
We deserve transparency in the confirmation process, with all relevant evidence presented publicly and witnesses allowed to testify under oath. When a Justice Department whistleblower offers to provide sworn testimony about a judicial nominee's alleged misconduct, we deserve to hear that testimony. Democracy depends on informed consent, which requires senators who will examine all evidence before making appointments that affect millions of Americans.
And What We Got
We got Chuck Grassley, supposedly a champion of whistleblowers, suppressing a Justice Department whistleblower to protect a judicial nominee from testimony about his alleged misconduct. We got a committee chairman cutting off debate and rushing a vote specifically to avoid hearing evidence that could expose contempt for judicial authority by someone seeking to become a federal judge. We got senators abandoning their constitutional duty to investigate nominees' fitness in favor of partisan protection of Trump loyalists.
We got Thom Tillis, who positioned himself as an independent voice willing to break with Trump, revealing that his independence was performative theater designed to provide political cover while ultimately serving Trump's agenda.⁷ Tillis voted against Ed Martin for defending January 6 rioters, then voted for Emil Bove despite Bove's role in purging the prosecutors who held those same rioters accountable.⁸ We got fake independence that collapses whenever it might actually matter.
We got a judicial nominee who allegedly told Justice Department lawyers to consider telling courts "fuck you" and ignore judicial orders, now positioned to become a federal judge with the power to issue those same orders. We got someone who interfered in corruption prosecutions and caused mass resignations from career prosecutors, rewarded with advancement to oversee the administration of justice. We got Republicans treating alleged contempt for judicial authority as a qualification for judicial office rather than a disqualification.
We got a confirmation process designed to suppress evidence rather than evaluate character. Instead of investigating serious allegations of misconduct, we got a party-line vote rushed through before the American people could learn the full scope of Bove's unfitness for judicial service. We got your senators choosing to install someone with disqualifying character defects because party loyalty matters more than constitutional responsibility.
Watch for What's Next
Expect more Trump loyalists with disqualifying character defects nominated to federal judgeships. The Senate will normalize appointing people with alleged misconduct to positions of judicial authority. Career prosecutors will face accelerated purges as independence becomes grounds for firing. Federal courts will transform from constitutional checks on presidential power into instruments of that power.
How We Resist: Lessons from History
Timothy Snyder's "On Tyranny" teaches us that defending institutions requires active resistance before they're completely captured.
Note that resistance is always guided by Lesson 20: Be as courageous as you can. We are not all positioned to take each of these actions. Consider what you can do given your circumstances. Know that for every action of resistance you engage in, you are also representing those who are not able to stand up due to vulnerability, ability, or means.
Lesson 2: Defend institutions. The Senate confirmation process represents one of the few remaining institutional checks on presidential power to reshape the judiciary. When senators suppress evidence to rush through unfit nominees, they're destroying the process that protects us from judicial corruption.
How to resist: Call both your senators immediately at (202) 224-3121 and demand they vote NO on Bove's confirmation. Tell them you know about the whistleblower allegations of misconduct and that voting to confirm someone who allegedly counseled defiance of court orders disqualifies them from representing you. Contact swing-state senators like Susan Collins (Maine) at (202) 224-2523 and Lisa Murkowski (Alaska) at (202) 224-6665 who might be persuadable. Support organizations like the Alliance for Justice (afj.org) and People For the American Way (pfaw.org) that monitor judicial nominations and mobilize opposition to unqualified nominees. Document this confirmation process as evidence of Senate complicity in installing unfit judges.
Lesson 10: Believe in truth. Republicans claim Bove's nomination represents normal judicial politics and that whistleblower allegations lack substance. The truth is that a Justice Department whistleblower has provided documented evidence of Bove's alleged misconduct, and Republicans are suppressing that evidence to rush through his confirmation.
How to resist: Share documented facts about Bove's alleged misconduct with people who don't follow politics closely—most Americans don't know their senator is voting to install someone who allegedly counseled defiance of court orders as a federal judge. Amplify the voices of the 900 former Justice Department attorneys and 75 former federal judges who oppose this nomination based on character evidence. Support independent journalism that investigates judicial nominees' misconduct rather than treating all confirmations as routine political theater. Fact-check Republican claims about Bove's qualifications and share accurate information about his alleged misconduct and abuse of prosecutorial power.
Lesson 11: Investigate. Figure out what is going on with your own federal judges and courts. The judiciary affects every aspect of American life, from voting rights to healthcare access to environmental protection. Understanding who sits on your local federal courts helps you recognize how judicial appointments translate into real-world consequences for your community.
How to resist: Research the current composition of your federal district court and circuit court—who appointed the judges, what their judicial philosophy is, and how their rulings affect your community. Use the Federal Judicial Center website (fjc.gov) to find biographical information about federal judges. Attend local federal court hearings when possible to observe how justice is administered in your area. Support court-watching organizations that monitor federal judicial decisions and their impact on civil rights and democratic institutions. Connect with legal aid organizations in your community that can explain how federal court decisions affect everyday people seeking justice.
Lesson 6: Be wary of paramilitaries. While this lesson typically applies to armed groups, it also applies to the corruption of institutions meant to check government power. When judges become extensions of executive authority rather than independent arbiters of law, they function as instruments of presidential power rather than constitutional checks on that power.
How to resist: Monitor federal court decisions for signs of partisan bias or deference to executive power that abandons constitutional principles. Support legal organizations like the American Civil Liberties Union (aclu.org) and the Brennan Center for Justice (brennancenter.org) that challenge unconstitutional government actions in federal court and appeal biased decisions. Donate to civil rights organizations that depend on independent federal courts to protect vulnerable populations from government overreach. Recognize that defending judicial independence today protects the institutional capacity to resist authoritarianism tomorrow—even judges appointed by Trump will face pressure to choose between law and loyalty when constitutional crises intensify.
The Bove confirmation represents Republican senators choosing to install someone with alleged contempt for judicial authority because party loyalty matters more than constitutional responsibility. Every senator who votes to confirm Bove is choosing Trump's interests over their oath to defend the Constitution. Your democracy depends on institutions staffed by people of character—if we lose that standard, we lose the foundation that makes constitutional government possible.
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Sources
CNN Politics. "Senate Judiciary Committee Republicans advance nomination of former Trump lawyer Emil Bove as Democrats walk out." July 17, 2025.
The Washington Post. "As Democrats walk out, Republicans advance judicial nomination of Emil Bove." July 17, 2025.
CBS News. "Senate committee advances Emil Bove's judicial nomination as meeting erupts in chaos." July 17, 2025.
NPR. "Senate panel approves federal judge nomination for Emil Bove, who defended Trump." July 17, 2025.
CNN Politics. "More than 75 former judges urge Senate committee to reject Trump judicial nominee Emil Bove." July 15, 2025.
NBC News. "Democrats challenge whether Emil Bove's judicial nomination advanced after they walked out of vote." July 17, 2025.
NC Newsline. "Thom Tillis poised to cast decisive vote on controversial Trump appeals court nominee." July 16, 2025.
The Hill. "Democrats walk out of Bove, Pirro meeting as panel advances controversial Trump nominees." July 17, 2025.
The Dispatch. "The Emil Bove Vote Will Reveal If Thom Tillis Is Serious." July 17, 2025.
NPR. "Controversial nominee Emil Bove is 1 step from a job as a federal appeals court judge." July 17, 2025.