Staff for Senate Judiciary Committee chair Chuck Grassley met Monday with lawyers for a third whistleblower testifying against Emil Bove, President Donald Trump’s nominee to sit on the Third Circuit Court of Appeals whose confirmation vote could be scheduled for as soon as Tuesday.
Grassley said in a brief interview his team found out about the new allegations in recent days from social media, but his staff was unable to secure the meeting until Monday.
“I don’t have the results of that sit-down, but I do know this: All we’ve been getting all weekend is the runaround, so I really have questions about the adequacy with the way the Democrats are handling this,” Grassley said. “I just don’t think it shows the proper respect for whistleblowers.”
Bove’s nomination has been dogged by accusations he suggested defying court orders that could pull back on the administration’s aggressive immigration and deportation agenda.
Senate Judiciary Democrats asked to hold a hearing with one former DOJ employee, Erez Reuveni, the first whistleblower to implicate Bove with potential misconduct. Grassley declined the request. A second whistleblower against Bove is currently being represented by the nonprofit group, Whistleblower Aid.
Democrats argue these complaints warrant Bove’s disqualification for a lifetime judgeship, and have dedicated significant time and messaging resources to slamming his consideration. It’s not likely, though, that this new development could be enough to sway more Republicans to oppose him. GOP Sens. Lisa Murkowski of Alaska and Susan Collins of Maine are expected to vote “no.”
Sen. Thom Tillis, whose opposition to Trump’s previous U.S. attorney pick for the District of Columbia tanked the nomination and is not running for reelection, had been viewed as a possible Republican who could be flipped on judicial contenders. But the North Carolina lawmaker said Monday his support of Bove remained unchanged.
“The problem that I’m running into is whether or not people are willing to come out and identify themselves, or at least identify themselves to members,” said Tillis of the whistleblowers.
Tillis also pointed out Bove would be confirmed with or without his support: unless a fourth Republican were to come out and oppose the nominee, there “no” votes would only require Vice President JD Vance to break the tie and deliver the White House a victory.
A Grassley spokesperson, Clare Slattery, also slammed the new whistleblower’s late allegations.
“His staff has so far spoken to more than a dozen people who have reached out to share information about the Bove nomination, and has not declined a meeting with anyone who said they had information to share,” Slattery said in a statement regarding sides for the committee chair.
“These eleventh-hour allegations, which were shared in advance with Democrats and the media but not with the Chairman or his staff, reek of a bad faith attempt to sink a nominee who’s already received committee approval,” she continued.
Grassley staff also has yet to review or gain access to the documents that support the third whistleblower’s complaint.
Once Trump’s criminal defense lawyer, Bove is now a top official at the Department of Justice.
If confirmed, he would hold a lifetime seat on the court with jurisdiction over Pennsylvania, Delaware, New Jersey, and the Virgin Islands.
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