Despite heated opposition, the U.S. Senate on Tuesday confirmed former Trump attorney Todd Bove to the influential Third Circuit Court of Appeals, which oversees Delaware, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania.
Bove, 44, a former federal prosecutor and Trump’s onetime criminal defense lawyer, was confirmed in a 53–47 vote. Republican Senators Lisa Murkowski (Alaska) and Susan Collins (Maine) broke party lines to vote against the nomination, but the GOP’s narrow Senate majority was enough to carry the confirmation through.
The appointment has triggered strong criticism from Democrats, legal experts, and even members of the judiciary. Senator Dick Durbin, the ranking Democrat on the Senate Judiciary Committee, condemned the move, saying, “Mr. Bove’s primary qualification appears to be his blind loyalty to this President.” Durbin accused Bove of supporting January 6 rioters and firing prosecutors who held them accountable.
New Jersey lawmakers, Senator Cory Booker and Representative Andy Kim, issued a joint statement declaring Bove’s record “marred by a pattern of abusive behavior, ethical breaches, and disdain for the norms of judicial integrity.”
Bove, who previously served as the third-ranking official at the Justice Department during Trump’s first term, has long been a controversial figure. He was Trump’s attorney in the New York hush money case that led to the former president’s conviction on 34 felony counts. Bove also represented Trump in two federal criminal cases that were dropped after Trump won the 2024 election.
His judicial nomination drew widespread pushback from within the legal community. More than 900 former Justice Department attorneys signed a letter calling his confirmation “intolerable,” while over 75 retired judges warned the Senate Judiciary Committee against appointing someone who once acted as the president’s personal defense lawyer.
The outcry intensified after Bove ordered the Justice Department to drop bribery and fraud charges against New York City Mayor Eric Adams earlier this year—a decision that reportedly prompted a string of resignations in both the Manhattan U.S. Attorney’s Office and the department’s Washington headquarters. Bove has denied any quid pro quo arrangement, insisting the decision was based on prosecutorial discretion.
Critics warn Bove’s appointment could further politicize the federal judiciary, while supporters argue his legal experience qualifies him for the bench. His confirmation now solidifies a Trump ally in a powerful appellate court, adding another layer to the former president’s post-White House influence on the judiciary.
