Former President Donald Trump announced on Wednesday his nomination of Emil Bove, a Justice Department official and his former defense attorney, to serve as a life-tenured judge on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit, based in Philadelphia.
Trump revealed the nomination via his social media platform, Truth Social, highlighting Bove’s role as principal associate deputy attorney general. In his statement, Trump praised Bove, stating, "He will end the Weaponization of Justice, restore the Rule of Law, and do anything else that is necessary to, MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN. Emil Bove will never let you down!"
The Senate, controlled by Republicans with a 53-47 majority, must confirm Bove’s appointment. Alongside this, Trump also nominated five candidates for federal district court judgeships in Florida: Ed Artau, Kyle Dudek, John Guard, Anne-Leigh Gaylord Moe, and Jordan Pratt.
This latest announcement brings Trump's total federal judicial nominations during his second term to eleven, complementing the 234 conservative judicial appointments he made between 2017 and 2021.
Bove previously served as one of Trump’s defense attorneys during the former president’s 2024 criminal trial in Manhattan. Trump was convicted on 34 felony counts of falsifying documents related to hush money payments made before the 2016 election to silence adult film actress Stormy Daniels, allegations Trump denies and is appealing.
Following Trump’s re-election, Bove briefly acted as deputy attorney general before Todd Blanche succeeded him. Bove has been involved in implementing policy changes aimed at addressing what Trump considers political bias within the Justice Department, although critics argue these actions undermine the department’s independence.
In a controversial move earlier this year, Bove instructed prosecutors to drop a corruption case against New York City Mayor Eric Adams. When prosecutors resisted, Bove personally took over the prosecution, an unusual step for a senior official. The judge dismissed the charges, remarking that the Justice Department’s rationale implied political bargaining. This incident led to the resignation of eleven prosecutors in Washington and New York.
Several ethics complaints have been filed against Bove by government watchdogs and lawmakers, although a New York disciplinary body declined to investigate. Senator Dick Durbin, the top Democrat on the Senate Judiciary Committee, criticized the nomination, citing Bove’s alleged misconduct and accusing Trump’s administration of undermining rule of law and Justice Department independence.
The Third Circuit Court oversees appeals from Delaware, Pennsylvania, and New Jersey, currently staffed equally by judges appointed by Republican and Democratic presidents, with two vacancies. Bove is nominated for a New Jersey seat left vacant when Adeel Mangi’s nomination was stalled due to Republican opposition.
Bove’s legal career includes tenure as co-chief of the terrorism and international narcotics unit at the Manhattan U.S. Attorney’s office. From 2012 to 2021, he prosecuted notable cases, including drug charges against the brother of a former Honduran president and the guilty plea of a New York man supporting the Islamic State.
