Chad Meredith, Trump's Latest Judicial Pick, Was Almost Nominated By Biden
Washington:
President Donald Trump says he plans to tap Chad Meredith, a former state solicitor general in Kentucky, for a federal judgeship in the state - and this time, he is facing no objections from Sen. Rand Paul, who opposed his nomination three years ago.
Meredith was the starring player in a bit of judicial nominations drama in the previous administration, when then-President Joe Biden had agreed to nominate Meredith, who was enthusiastically supported by Sen. Mitch McConnell, the former Senate majority leader. It was a curious move at the time, because Meredith had a track record of defending Kentucky's anti-abortion laws and the nomination would come in the immediate aftermath of the 2022 Supreme Court decision that eliminated a constitutional right to the procedure.
But Paul indicated to the Biden White House at the time that he would block Meredith's confirmation proceedings from moving forward, so the former president never formally nominated him. Biden's decision to back off Meredith was also a relief to Democrats and abortion rights groups who had been enraged at the prospect of Biden tapping an anti-abortion lawyer for a lifetime judiciary seat.
This time, Paul recommended Meredith for the judgeship to the White House, and plans to support his confirmation, Paul's office said Thursday.
In his social media post Wednesday announcing the nomination, Trump called Meredith "highly experienced and well qualified."
"Chad is a courageous Patriot who knows what is required to uphold the Rule of Law, and protect our Constitution," Trump wrote on Truth Social Wednesday night.
McConnell said in a statement Wednesday that Trump made an "outstanding choice" in choosing Meredith, who also served as chief deputy general counsel for former Kentucky Gov. Matt Bevin.
"His demonstrated devotion to the rule of law and the Constitution will serve the people of Kentucky well on the federal bench," McConnell said. "I look forward to the Senate confirming his nomination."
Three years ago, Paul accused McConnell of cutting a "secret deal" with the White House as a reason why Meredith's nomination never moved forward under Biden. Paul never made any substantive objections about Meredith himself at the time.
"Unfortunately, instead of communicating and lining up support for him, Senator McConnell chose to cut a secret deal with the White House that fell apart," Paul said at the time.
Paul had effective veto power over a judicial pick in his home state because the Senate continues to honor the so-called blue slip rule, a decades-old custom that says a judicial nominee won't move forward if there is opposition from his or her home-state senator. The Biden White House also deferred to that custom, which is why Biden never ended up nominating Meredith.
Though the rule has been eroded in part, namely for appellate court judges whose seat spans several states, the custom has remained intact for district court nominees who are more closely tied to their home states. Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Charles Grassley, R-Iowa, has so far made no indication that he would deviate from that longstanding custom.
Lena Zwarensteyn, senior director of a fair courts program and an adviser at The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights, criticized Trump's selection of Meredith given his "disturbing anti-abortion record."
"The nomination of Chad Meredith to a lifetime judgeship should trouble everyone," Zwarensteyn said.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Scroll.in
23 minutes ago
- Scroll.in
Bhima Koregaon case: Court rejects activist Gautam Navlakha's plea to live in Delhi
A Mumbai court on Thursday rejected human rights activist Gautam Navlakha's petition seeking permission to live in Delhi during the pendency of his trial in the Bhima Koregaon case, reported Live Law. The trial in the case is yet to begin. Navlakha, 72, is among 16 academicians, activists and lawyers who have been charged under the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act for their alleged role in instigating caste violence at Bhima Koregaon near Pune in January 2018. He was arrested in August 2018 and placed under house arrest in November 2022 after the Supreme Court granted his request to be shifted from jail on the grounds of ill health and poor facilities in prison. In December 2023, the Bombay High Court granted him bail, which was reaffirmed by the Supreme Court in May 2024, following which he was released. However, one of the bail conditions prohibits him from leaving Mumbai without the permission of the special court, where the trial of the case will be held. On Thursday, Navlakha was directed by the special National Investigation Agency court not to leave the jurisdiction of the Mumbai court, PTI reported. The court reportedly told the activist that 'allowing him to reside permanently beyond the jurisdiction of the court is an entirely different thing'. 'This unnecessary application deserves to be rejected,' special judge CS Baviskar was quoted as saying by PTI. Navlakha, a Delhi resident, had approached the court in April seeking permission to move as it had become 'extremely difficult for him to sustain a stable lifestyle' in Mumbai. He told the court that he had been unemployed and thus had to financially depend on friends and family since he was released in May 2024. The activist pointed out that the trial in the case will take a long time to conclude and hence it is 'crucial for him to be employed and financially stable' to be able to meet legal expenses.
Mint
26 minutes ago
- Mint
Banks Face €5 Billion French Dividend Tax Bill, Senator Says
(Bloomberg) -- Banks in France are facing a combined tax bill of as much as €5 billion ($5.8 billion) over contentious trades allegedly designed to escape levies on dividend payments, according to a lawmaker who dubbed the process a 'fraud.' Senator Jean-François Husson made the announcement on Thursday after a review of confidential documents from French tax officials — suggesting that the liability for banks has doubled since authorities released estimates in 2023. Husson told reporters that the papers provided certain indications that 'the tax fraud is still ongoing.' France's finance ministry declined to comment on the amount. Over the past few years, the banking industry in France has clashed with lawmakers, tax officials and prosecutors over a dividend arbitrage strategy known as Cum-Cum, which authorities have said is responsible for billions of euros in lost revenue to the exchequer. Cum-Cum trades typically entail shifting French stock during dividend season to an entity exempt from withholding tax, such as a local bank, and then splitting the saved money between the involved parties. Earlier on Thursday, Husson accused the government of creating a 'loophole' that waters down new dividend tax rules enacted earlier this year and ratcheted up pressure to close the revenue gap. The new legislation had widened the existing tax code to include more equity trades and to prevent foreign owners of French stock and local banks from carrying out transactions aimed at avoiding withholding taxes on dividend payments. But Husson — the lawmaker who spearheaded the changes — said the government's approach is creating exceptions where the rules aren't applicable. In a statement sent earlier in the day by the Senate, Husson said he was seeking to understand why the government published in April an interpretation of the law 'that substantially strips the effectiveness of anti-fraud measures voted by parliament.' After a visit to the finance ministry, Husson blamed France's banking lobby. The French Banking Federation said in a statement that it isn't aware of the tax bill estimates discussed by the senator, adding such assessments are being contested and no court has ruled on it to date. The French finance ministry said it makes its determinations 'in complete independence,' and denied introducing any loophole in the latest law. It said it had reiterated to Husson 'the government's uncompromising fight against tax fraud.' In 2023, financial prosecutors carried out coordinated evidence-gathering raids at the premises of BNP Paribas SA and its Exane SA unit, Societe Generale SA, HSBC Holdings Plc and Natixis SA as part of their Cum-Cum investigation. None of them has been accused of wrongdoing. Later, the industry lobby challenged existing tax rules in court, with lawmakers eventually voting for changes. Amid uncertainty over the application of new laws, several big banks in Paris, from Bank of America Corp. to Goldman Sachs Group Inc., have curbed some related trading activities that involved French equity derivatives. (Updates with comment from French finance ministry in 10th paragraph) More stories like this are available on
NDTV
an hour ago
- NDTV
Delhi Court Allows Extradition Of Man For Trial In Rape Case In Scotland
New Delhi: A Delhi Court has allowed the extradition of a fugitive to stand trial in Scotland for sexual assault, rape and communicating indecently. Additional Chief Judicial Magistrate Pranav Joshi was hearing the matter over the Centre's December 2024 order appointing and requesting the court to inquire into the extradition request by determining whether a prima facie case was made out against the fugitive criminal (FC) Naijil Paul. In an order dated June 9, the court said, "Union of India is requested to extradite the FC Naijil Paul to the Government of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland for standing trial of the indictment charges against the FC before the High Court of Judiciary at Glasgow, Scotland through diplomatic channel." Till formalities of extradition were complete, Paul would remain in Tihar prison, it added. To avoid criminal prosecution in the UK, Paul fled to India but was arrested from Kochi in Kerala and brought to the national capital. According to the Centre's order, the United Kingdom government submitted a request for Paul's extradition, who was "wanted to stand trial in connection with the offences allegedly committed in Scotland" for sexual assault, communicating indecently among other offences. "Similar conduct under Indian laws amount to offence under Section 63 (rape), Section 74 (sexual assault), Section 75 (sexual harassment), Section 79 (word, gesture to act to outrage the modesty of a woman) of the Bhartiya Nyaya Sanhita which are punishable with more than one year imprisonment," it said. (Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
