Vote on Bounds Is “Shameful”

WASHINGTON, D.C., June 7, 2018 – Following today’s Senate Judiciary Committee vote to advance the nomination of Ryan Bounds for a seat on the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals, over the objections of both of his home-state senators, AFJ President Nan Aron released the following statement:

“Today’s vote on Ryan Bounds, forced to advance by Judiciary Chairman Chuck Grassley, is shameful on several levels. It’s shameful because it is a blatant act of disrespect toward Oregon’s senators and their constituents. It’s shameful because it advances the nomination of a person who has a record of flippant and hostile writings about rape victims, LGBTQ people, and people of color. It’s shameful because this same nominee is accused by his home-state nominating commission of misleading them by concealing this part of his record. The fact that the current Chairman wants to make this the new norm for judicial nominations is unacceptable, and senators should not acquiesce to a power grab designed to pack the courts with extremist judges.”