Maine Senator Susan Collins broke with fellow Republicans to vote against Emil Bove, who was confirmed last night by the Senate to a lifetime seat on the Third Circuit Court of Appeals
Collins joined all Democrats and one other Republican, Lisa Murkowski of Alaska, in opposing Bove, who was plagued by whistleblower reports claiming he recommended the administration ignore court orders that would disrupt President Trump’s immigration agenda.
Democrats argued Bove, the current principal associate deputy attorney general and former Trump defense attorney, had shown he valued loyalty to the President over the law, and as such, was not fit to be a federal judge.
Collins said Bove could not be trusted to be impartial as a judge.
“We have to have judges who will adhere to the rule of law and the Constitution and do so regardless of what their personal views may be,” Collins said in a statement. “Mr. Bove’s political profile and some of the actions he has taken in his leadership roles at the Department of Justice cause me to conclude he would not serve as an impartial jurist.”
Collins has voted against several of Trump’s nominees since he came back into off in January, although none of her votes helped to block any of the nominees.
Maine Independent Senator Angus King, who caucuses with Democrats, also voted against Bove’s nomination.
Bove was confirmed by a 50-49 margin Tuesday night.