Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) passes through a hallway at the U.S. Capitol on May 4, 2020 in Washington, D.C. (Photo: Alex Wong/Getty Images)
Court Requests Probe Into Whether McConnell Unethically Pressured Judge to Retire to Pave Way for His Unqualified Protege
"Justin Walker's nomination was already controversial, but this emerging investigation means an even darker cloud is hanging over his appointment. The hearing on Walker's nomination should not go forward until we know the truth."
A federal court has requested an investigation into whether Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell unethically pressured a judge on the powerful U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit to retire to pave the way for the Kentucky Republican's 38-year-old protege Justin Walker, who is set for a confirmation hearing for the vacancy on Wednesday.
The New York Times reported late Monday that on May 1, Judge Sri Srinivasan--chief judge on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit--"asked Chief Justice John G. Roberts Jr. to assign another circuit to look into a complaint filed by the progressive advocacy group Demand Justice, which questioned the timing and circumstances of Judge Thomas B. Griffith's retirement announcement in early March."
"The hearing on Walker's nomination should not go forward until we know the truth about what ethical lines Mitch McConnell crossed to get Walker this seat."
--Brian Fallon, Demand Justice
On March 19 (pdf), Demand Justice called on Srinivasan to authorize a "prompt inquiry into the majority leader's potential efforts to influence Judge Griffith, perhaps through improper means... particularly because it appears that he has attempted to influence many other federal judges, as well."
The group's request came days after the Times reported that McConnell--who has made ramming through President Donald Trump's right-wing judicial picks his top priority even amid the Covid-19 pandemic--"has been personally reaching out to judges to sound them out on their plans and assure them that they would have a worthy successor if they gave up their seats soon." It is not clear whether McConnell contacted Griffith prior to the judge's retirement.
In a statement Monday night, Demand Justice urged the Senate to postpone Walker's scheduled Judiciary Committee hearing in light of Srinivasan's request for an inquiry.
"Justin Walker's nomination was already controversial, but this emerging investigation means an even darker cloud is hanging over his appointment," said Brian Fallon, executive director of Demand Justice. "The hearing on Walker's nomination should not go forward until we know the truth about what ethical lines Mitch McConnell crossed to get Walker this seat."
"At the very least," said Fallon, "McConnell should come clean about whether and when he contacted Judge Thomas Griffith prior to his sudden retirement."
Walker, a member of the right-wing Federalist Society and former clerk for now-Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh, was rated "not qualified" by the American Bar Association when Trump nominated him to the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Kentucky last October. The Republican-controlled Senate disregarded the rating and confirmed Walker anyway, and now the judge is on the path to a promotion.
Lena Zwarensteyn, Fair Courts Campaign director with the Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights, said that Walker's confirmation to the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Kentucky was "pure nepotism."
"Walker's inexperience and hostility toward access to healthcare and civil rights and public protections make him wholly unfit for this position," said Zwarensteyn. "But equally alarming is the unusual path that has led him to now wield a daunting amount of influence through our courts."
We are at a crossroads
This country and this world are at a monumental crossroads. In a few short weeks, US voters will have an opportunity to beat back the forces of fascism and confront the billionaires who are rigging the economy, our media system, and our democracy, making it increasingly impossible for ordinary people to get by. We’re not just talking about the election. We’re talking about what must be done once these fascist elements are vanquished from power. We need a bolder set of solutions than what either major party has so far been willing to offer and a working-class movement ready to fight like hell for it. Trump didn't emerge from nowhere. The conditions that fueled MAGA authoritarianism were created by decades of radical neoliberal economic policies and a corrupt political system dominated by corporate interests. They slashed taxes on the super-rich, promising that the benefits would trickle down. They said giveaways to the corporate titans would make life more affordable for the rest of us. It was all bullshit. And when a bitter, betrayed populace searches for someone to blame, right-wing demagogues have little trouble finding scapegoats. People know when they're being lied to, but you won't hear any of this from the corporate media. Only independent journalism—powered and funded by people who believe in building a better world—can deliver truly trustworthy daily news. Our Fall Campaign is underway, and we need your help. To power our newsroom through the rest of the year, we need to raise $125,000 by midnight on October 31. So if you share our vision, please contribute whatever you can to sustain our work. |
A federal court has requested an investigation into whether Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell unethically pressured a judge on the powerful U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit to retire to pave the way for the Kentucky Republican's 38-year-old protege Justin Walker, who is set for a confirmation hearing for the vacancy on Wednesday.
The New York Times reported late Monday that on May 1, Judge Sri Srinivasan--chief judge on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit--"asked Chief Justice John G. Roberts Jr. to assign another circuit to look into a complaint filed by the progressive advocacy group Demand Justice, which questioned the timing and circumstances of Judge Thomas B. Griffith's retirement announcement in early March."
"The hearing on Walker's nomination should not go forward until we know the truth about what ethical lines Mitch McConnell crossed to get Walker this seat."
--Brian Fallon, Demand Justice
On March 19 (pdf), Demand Justice called on Srinivasan to authorize a "prompt inquiry into the majority leader's potential efforts to influence Judge Griffith, perhaps through improper means... particularly because it appears that he has attempted to influence many other federal judges, as well."
The group's request came days after the Times reported that McConnell--who has made ramming through President Donald Trump's right-wing judicial picks his top priority even amid the Covid-19 pandemic--"has been personally reaching out to judges to sound them out on their plans and assure them that they would have a worthy successor if they gave up their seats soon." It is not clear whether McConnell contacted Griffith prior to the judge's retirement.
In a statement Monday night, Demand Justice urged the Senate to postpone Walker's scheduled Judiciary Committee hearing in light of Srinivasan's request for an inquiry.
"Justin Walker's nomination was already controversial, but this emerging investigation means an even darker cloud is hanging over his appointment," said Brian Fallon, executive director of Demand Justice. "The hearing on Walker's nomination should not go forward until we know the truth about what ethical lines Mitch McConnell crossed to get Walker this seat."
"At the very least," said Fallon, "McConnell should come clean about whether and when he contacted Judge Thomas Griffith prior to his sudden retirement."
Walker, a member of the right-wing Federalist Society and former clerk for now-Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh, was rated "not qualified" by the American Bar Association when Trump nominated him to the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Kentucky last October. The Republican-controlled Senate disregarded the rating and confirmed Walker anyway, and now the judge is on the path to a promotion.
Lena Zwarensteyn, Fair Courts Campaign director with the Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights, said that Walker's confirmation to the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Kentucky was "pure nepotism."
"Walker's inexperience and hostility toward access to healthcare and civil rights and public protections make him wholly unfit for this position," said Zwarensteyn. "But equally alarming is the unusual path that has led him to now wield a daunting amount of influence through our courts."
A federal court has requested an investigation into whether Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell unethically pressured a judge on the powerful U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit to retire to pave the way for the Kentucky Republican's 38-year-old protege Justin Walker, who is set for a confirmation hearing for the vacancy on Wednesday.
The New York Times reported late Monday that on May 1, Judge Sri Srinivasan--chief judge on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit--"asked Chief Justice John G. Roberts Jr. to assign another circuit to look into a complaint filed by the progressive advocacy group Demand Justice, which questioned the timing and circumstances of Judge Thomas B. Griffith's retirement announcement in early March."
"The hearing on Walker's nomination should not go forward until we know the truth about what ethical lines Mitch McConnell crossed to get Walker this seat."
--Brian Fallon, Demand Justice
On March 19 (pdf), Demand Justice called on Srinivasan to authorize a "prompt inquiry into the majority leader's potential efforts to influence Judge Griffith, perhaps through improper means... particularly because it appears that he has attempted to influence many other federal judges, as well."
The group's request came days after the Times reported that McConnell--who has made ramming through President Donald Trump's right-wing judicial picks his top priority even amid the Covid-19 pandemic--"has been personally reaching out to judges to sound them out on their plans and assure them that they would have a worthy successor if they gave up their seats soon." It is not clear whether McConnell contacted Griffith prior to the judge's retirement.
In a statement Monday night, Demand Justice urged the Senate to postpone Walker's scheduled Judiciary Committee hearing in light of Srinivasan's request for an inquiry.
"Justin Walker's nomination was already controversial, but this emerging investigation means an even darker cloud is hanging over his appointment," said Brian Fallon, executive director of Demand Justice. "The hearing on Walker's nomination should not go forward until we know the truth about what ethical lines Mitch McConnell crossed to get Walker this seat."
"At the very least," said Fallon, "McConnell should come clean about whether and when he contacted Judge Thomas Griffith prior to his sudden retirement."
Walker, a member of the right-wing Federalist Society and former clerk for now-Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh, was rated "not qualified" by the American Bar Association when Trump nominated him to the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Kentucky last October. The Republican-controlled Senate disregarded the rating and confirmed Walker anyway, and now the judge is on the path to a promotion.
Lena Zwarensteyn, Fair Courts Campaign director with the Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights, said that Walker's confirmation to the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Kentucky was "pure nepotism."
"Walker's inexperience and hostility toward access to healthcare and civil rights and public protections make him wholly unfit for this position," said Zwarensteyn. "But equally alarming is the unusual path that has led him to now wield a daunting amount of influence through our courts."