Justice Department official Emil Bove pushed back Wednesday against claims that he’s President Trump’s “henchman” or “enforcer” during a contentious Senate hearing on his nomination to serve a lifetime appointment on a federal appeals court.
Bove, who served as Trump’s personal lawyer during his criminal cases last year, has faced criticism from Democrats over his role in the dismissal of federal prosecutors who worked on Capitol riot cases; request for corruption charges against New York Mayor Eric Adams to be dropped; and allegations from a whistleblower that he suggested administration officials should defy court orders.
“I respect this process, and I’m here today to address some of your questions about those decisions, but I want to be clear about one thing up front, there is a wildly inaccurate caricature of me in the mainstream media,” Bove said in his testimony.
“I am not anybody’s henchman. I’m not an enforcer. I’m a lawyer from a small town who never expected to be in an arena like this,” the senior DOJ official added.
One day before Bove’s confirmation hearing for the judicial post on the 3rd US Circuit Court of Appeals, which oversees district courts in Delaware, New Jersey and Pennsylvania, fired former DOJ official Erez Reuveni alleged that the nominee told federal prosecutors that the Trump administration may not abide by court orders that would impede its mass deportation plans.
Sen. Adam Schiff (D-Calif.) brought up the whistleblower complaint during his questioning, and repeatedly used the expletive Reuveni claims Bove used during a March 14 meeting discussing Trump’s yet-to-be signed proclamation invoking the Alien Enemies Act.
“In the complaint, it says, ‘Bove stated the DOJ would need to consider telling the courts, f— you and ignoring any such court order.’ Did you say anything of that kind in the meeting?” Schiff asked the judicial nominee.
Bove responded: “Senator, I have no recollection of saying anything of that kind.”
“Wouldn’t you recall, Mr. Bove, if you said or suggested during a meeting with Justice Department lawyers that maybe they should consider telling the court ‘f— you’? It seems to me that would be something you’d remember … Unless that’s the kind of thing you say frequently,” Schiff pressed.
“Well, I’ve certainly said things encouraging litigators at the department to fight hard for valid positions that we have to take in defense of our clients,” Bove shot back.
“Have you frequently suggested that they say, ‘f— you’ and ignore court orders? Is that also something you frequently do so that you might not remember doing it on this occasion?” the senator continued.
Bove asserted that he “did not suggest that there would be any need to consider, ignoring court orders,” noting that during the meeting Reuveni describes in his complaint, “There were no court orders to discuss.”
“Well, did you suggest telling the courts ‘f— you’ in any manner?” Schiff responded.
Bove answered: “I don’t recall.”
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