Senate Confirms Trump Lawyer to Appeals Court Despite Whistleblower Allegations

By Staff, Agencies

The US Senate confirmed Emil Bove, a former Trump lawyer and current Justice Department official, to a lifetime seat on the 3^rd US Circuit Court of Appeals in a narrow 50-49 vote Tuesday. The court covers Delaware, New Jersey and Pennsylvania.

Bove, previously a federal prosecutor in the Southern District of New York, defended Trump in both his New York hush money trial and two federal criminal cases. His confirmation has drawn fierce opposition from Senate Democrats due to several controversies surrounding his conduct at the Justice Department.

Among the most serious concerns are whistleblower allegations regarding Bove’s role in the dismissal of a federal corruption case against New York City Mayor Eric Adams, and his efforts to investigate DOJ officials involved in prosecuting the January 6 Capitol rioters.

Bove reportedly accused FBI officials of "insubordination" for withholding agent identities tied to the Jan. 6 investigation and ordered the firing of prosecutors involved in those cases.

Two whistleblowers have raised red flags. One, a dismissed DOJ lawyer, claimed Bove had suggested the Trump administration should consider ignoring court rulings—a claim Bove denies. Another provided an audio recording from a private February DOJ video call, which allegedly contradicts Bove’s Senate testimony regarding the Adams case.

The recording, obtained by the Associated Press and first reported by the Washington Post, quotes Bove discussing the abrupt resignation of interim Manhattan US Attorney Danielle Sassoon and the pressure placed on attorneys to file a motion to dismiss the Adams case. In Senate testimony, Bove denied certain statements that the transcript reportedly confirms he made.

Despite the growing controversy, Senate Republicans pushed Bove’s nomination through, with only Senators Susan Collins [R-ME] and Lisa Murkowski [R-AK] voting against him. Democrats condemned the move, with Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer calling the confirmation a "dark day" and accusing Republicans of rewarding loyalty to Trump over integrity.

Senator Murkowski added, “I don't think that somebody who has counseled other attorneys that you should ignore the law... should be placed in a lifetime seat on the bench.”

Bove has dismissed the criticism as a "smear campaign" and maintains his conduct has been mischaracterized. In a letter to the Senate Judiciary Committee, he defended his testimony, stating that although the transcript reflects controversial remarks, he did not intend to reward prosecutors for following his directives—only to uphold the chain of command.

Senator Chuck Grassley [R-IA], who chairs the Judiciary Committee, supported Bove’s confirmation, calling him “capable and fair,” while acknowledging that whistleblower attorneys withheld materials until hours before the vote. He condemned what he described as "vicious rhetoric" and "unfair accusations" against Bove.

Despite the pushback, Bove will now assume a powerful role on the federal bench, deepening Trump’s judicial legacy even amid renewed scrutiny of judicial ethics and political loyalty.