Bondi Eliminates ABA's Role in Vetting Trump Judicial Picks

[LetMyPeopleVote]

Source: Bloomberg Law

The Justice Department won’t allow the American Bar Association to vet President Donald Trump’s picks for judicial appointments.

The Justice Department’s Office of Legal Policy, which prepares judicial nominees, will no longer “direct nominees to provide waivers allowing the ABA access to non-public information, including bar records,” according to the Thursday letter. Nominees also won’t respond to ABA questionnaires or sit for interviews with the ABA’s Standing Committee on the Federal Judiciary.

“Unfortunately, the ABA no longer functions as a fair arbiter of nominees’ qualifications, and its ratings invariably and demonstrably favor nominees put forth by Democratic administrations,” Attorney General Pam Bondi said in a Thursday letter to ABA President William Bay.

The changes represent a further diminishment of the ABA’s customary role in vetting judicial nominations, which had already shrank during several prior administrations. Trump, like George W. Bush before him, had cut off the ABA’s ability to vet candidates before they were nominated, a practice Joe Biden continued.

The ABA’s standing committee, which is independent from the larger organization, is a 15-member panel that’s helped vet judicial nominees since the Eisenhower era. Its members, including the chairman, are appointed by the association’s president to three-year terms. The ranks have included trial attorneys, law professors, and Big Law partners.

Lawyers under consideration are rated as “not qualified,” “qualified,” or “well qualified.”

Read more: https://news.bloomberglaw.com/us-law-week/bondi-eliminates-abas-role-in-vetting-trump-judicial-nominees

[Initech]

1. Sorry asshole, but your god emperor king man baby is, as you say, NOT ABOVE THE LAW!

Go shove it where it doesn't shine! Cry on Hannity all you want.

[Karasu]

4. Yep. However, he effectively is when the law isn't enforced, as has been the problem for the last 5 months...

...and they're doing in their power to prevent it from being enforced. Most of which has been working.

[YoshidaYui]

14. i really do hate these people

they run roughshod over the entire US government and turn it into A FUCKING CLOWN CAR.... the entire world must think we have been sniffing glue.

[Initech]

15. It's insane that in one breath they say "NO ONE IS ABOVE THE LAW!!!"...

While doing the most insanely illegal and grossly unconstitutional thing the next.

[BurnDoubt]

27. Somebody's been huffin' SOMETHIN'!!!!

[Karasu]

2. Administration comprised entirely of blatantly unqualified people continues to normalize appointing unqualified people.

The one and only thing they want is loyalty to the regime. Everything else is irrelevant. Their appointees can be fucking brain-dead for all they care.

[FakeNoose]

3. Well she can't prevent the ABA from publishing their opinions on every judicial pick

[LetMyPeopleVote]

6. This move will stop these nominees from cooperating with the ABA

[Buddyzbuddy]

5. Just assume ALL are unqualified.

Dismiss scrutiny at your own risk.

[Lovie777]

7. Another lawsuit....

[onenote]

8. Based on what.

It's a dumb as rocks, bad policy decision. But what legal basis would you cite to challenge it?

[SergeStorms]

9. That's what happens when fascism takes over.

And we're supposed to be surprised?

[patphil]

10. Unfortunately, the ABA no longer functions as a fair arbiter of nominees' qualifications,

translation: They aren't rubber stamping Republican nominees.

I can imagine what Pam Bondi's rating would be if they were vetting her for a position based on what she's done as Attorney General.

[LetMyPeopleVote]

11. The ABA rated 10% of Trump's picks "Not Qualified" vs. 2% for Clinton, clear liberal gatekeeping!

Here is Bondi's letter. Ten Percent (10%) is a high number for unqualified judicial candidates.

Link to tweet

[LetMyPeopleVote]

12. I am amused that Bondi announced this change at the same time a true asshole is being nominated by trump

The president insisted that Emil Bove is “respected by everyone.” All things considered, “everyone” was probably being generous.

Trump wants to make one of his controversial former defense lawyers an appeals court judge.
The conman insisted that Emil Bove is “respected by everyone.” All things considered, “everyone” was probably being generous.
www.msnbc.com/rachel-maddo...

— hateGOP (@hategop.bsky.social) 2025-05-29T21:20:34.561Z

https://www.msnbc.com/rachel-maddow-show/maddowblog/trump-wants-make-one-controversial-former-defense-lawyers-appeals-cour-rcna209761

Nearly 20 years ago, during George W. Bush’s fifth year in the White House, the Republican president thought it’d be a good idea to nominate his own former lawyer, Harriet Miers, to serve as a U.S. Supreme Court justice. This quickly proved to be a fiasco, which collapsed within weeks.

Two decades later, Donald Trump is apparently thinking along similar lines: The incumbent GOP president, also in his fifth year, is nominating one of his own former lawyers to serve on the federal appellate bench. The New York Times reported:

President Trump announced Wednesday that he would nominate Emil Bove III, the polarizing and widely feared top Justice Department official responsible for strong-arm tactics in enacting Mr. Trump’s immigration agenda, to be a federal appeals judge. Mr. Bove, 44, is a former criminal defense lawyer for Mr. Trump. He would fill a vacancy on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit, which covers Pennsylvania, New Jersey and Delaware.

......Let’s start with Bove’s rise to prominence as a prosecutor in the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York, where he faced a variety of allegations about his lack of professionalism. The Associated Press reported a few months ago, “One lawyer complained in the 2018 email that Bove was ‘completely reckless and out of control’ in how he handled his cases. Another, upset about Bove’s rudeness and power plays, said he needed ‘adult supervision.’ A third, a top federal public defender in the city, said ‘he cannot be bothered to treat lesser mortals with respect or empathy.’”

The AP quoted Christine Chung, a former federal prosecutor, who said, “In my experience litigating against him, what [Bove] enjoyed most as a prosecutor was wielding power — the single worst possible trait for a public servant. But people won’t speak against him publicly because he’s also vindictive.”

Bove later parlayed this background into a role as a Trump defense attorney, punctuated by his defeat in the Stormy Daniels case......

In fact, as my MSNBC colleague Lisa Rubin noted in February, Bove’s handling of the Adams case generated “at least three complaints about him ... to the relevant New York state body responsible for attorney discipline.” Around the same time, Rubin added, the Campaign for Accountability submitted a similar complaint to both the state and the chief judge of the Southern District, alleging that Bove’s conduct in connection with the Adams case may have violated at least six different ethical rules.

The idea that this guy deserves a lifetime position on the federal appellate bench is plainly absurd. Trump’s nomination creates yet another test for Senate Republicans, which, if recent history is any guide, they will almost certainly fail.

The confirmation hearings are bound to be interesting. Watch this space.

[liberalgunwilltravel]

13. When?

When does Bondi get eliminated?

[DFW]

21. She wants to make sure that will never happen

If there is any true justice, her post-administration career will be identical to that of Nixon’s AG, John Mitchell.

[Mysterian]

16. The fuhrer wants his henchmen in those judgeships

It is not allowed to question the fuhrer's orders.

[Figarosmom]

17. Gee, its like they KNOW their candidates

Aren't qualified to be on any court.

[orleans]

19. LOL! well said!

[DFW]

22. That IS, ironically enough,

the main qualification to be nominated.

[Martin68]

18. Well, that's that. No more merit-based judicial appointments.

[DFW]

20. Trump wants to appoint Otto as Justice Minister

(See the ending of “A Fish Called Wanda” )

[LudwigPastorius]

23. They don't need to be vetted by the Bar Assoc.

...because their only necessary qualification will be to have their lips puckered and planted on Donald Trump's fat, lard ass.

[Skittles]

24. ONLY TRUMP WHORES NEED APPLY

[dchill]

26. Now, Skittles - you don't really want to negatively associate...

...some wonderful whores with Pam Bondi, do you?

[Skittles]

29. to be honest

I only associate the word WHORE with political whores now; yes INDEED.

[dchill]

25. Gee, Pam - do you want everybody to think you're a shitty person?

[BurnDoubt]

28. Kiss the Ring three times and you're in.

[no_hypocrisy]

30. The ABA should go ahead and still publish their ratings on judicial nominees.

They may not be taken into consideration as vetting and rating, but the public will know what qualifications (or lack thereof) they bring with them.

And make sure that all members of the Senate are given copies of the ABA's ratings when it's time to vote.

[Mr. Sparkle]

31. The fascists ripping up the norms calling everyone and everything a left wing plot

i hope they all face justice someday.

[Javaman]

32. "I AM THE LAW!" yells judge bondi nt

[Aviation Pro]

33. No problem Blondi

The ABA should just issue a blanket statement for all future nominees, "This nominee nor any future nominee is not endorsed by the ABA."