Emil Bove, a former principal deputy attorney general under the Trump administration, is scheduled to testify before the Senate Judiciary Committee on Wednesday as part of the confirmation process for his nomination to the Third Circuit Court of Appeals. His impending appearance comes after a long tenure at the Department of Justice, where he was tasked with overseeing the implementation of several controversial policies associated with the Trump administration. These include the dismissal of federal corruption charges against New York City Mayor Eric Adams and the termination of prosecutors who had been involved in cases linked to the January 6 Capitol riot.
The Senate Judiciary Committee has confirmed that Bove will appear before it on June 25, with the hearing being one of several scheduled for the month. A person familiar with the committee’s schedule confirmed the date, although the committee has not yet specified which other nominees will be part of the hearing. If confirmed, Bove would be appointed to a lifetime federal judgeship on the Third Circuit, which has jurisdiction over appellate cases from Delaware, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania.
Senator Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.), who has been critical of the Trump administration’s handling of legal matters, has requested a comprehensive review of Bove’s work at the Department of Justice, including his involvement in the dismissal of charges against Adams. The decision to end the Adams case also coincided with his cooperation with the Trump administration on immigration enforcement at the Rikers Island jail complex, leading to the resignation of several DOJ attorneys. These events have sparked significant debate over the legal integrity of the Department of Justice during the Trump era and the potential impact of Bove’s confirmation on the federal judiciary.