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babylonsister

(170,964 posts)
Mon May 4, 2020, 09:16 PM May 2020

Federal Judge Calls For McConnell To Be Investigated For Improperly Pressuring Judge To Retire

https://www.politicususa.com/2020/05/04/federal-judge-calls-for-mcconnell-to-be-investigated-for-improperly-pressuring-judge-to-retire.html

Posted on Mon, May 4th, 2020 by Sean Colarossi
Federal Judge Calls For McConnell To Be Investigated For Improperly Pressuring Judge To Retire


Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) could soon find himself under investigation for improperly pressuring a judge to retire so he could fill the opening with a 37-year-old protégé.

Brian Fallon

@brianefallon

NEW: A top federal judge has asked Chief Justice Roberts to assign a formal investigation into whether McConnell unethically pressured a sitting judge to retire so McConnell could install his protege Justin Walker in his place. https://www.nytimes.com/2020/05/04/us/politics/senate-confirmation-justin-walker.html#click=https://t.co/pBGDnelwR5


According to The New York Times, “Just days before a high-profile Senate confirmation hearing to fill a vacancy on the prestigious U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit, the court’s chief judge has opened the door to an inquiry into whether ethical improprieties occurred in the creation of the coveted opening.”

More from the report:

In an order dated May 1, Judge Sri Srinivasan asked Chief Justice John G. Roberts Jr. to assign another circuit to look into a complaint filed by the progressive advocacy group Demand Justice, which questioned the timing and circumstances of Judge Thomas B. Griffith’s retirement announcement in early March.

The advocacy group acted in March after disclosures that Senator Mitch McConnell of Kentucky, the majority leader who has focused intently on conservative judicial confirmations the past three years, had been contacting appeals court judges nominated by Republican presidents to encourage them to retire. In the case of Judge Griffith, his retirement opened the way for President Trump to nominate Justin Walker, a 37-year-old protégé of Mr. McConnell’s whom the senator had ardently promoted for the seat.

With the number of federal judicial vacancies to fill nearly exhausted, Mr. McConnell has been urging those contemplating retirement to step aside this year if they want to assure that their successors will be nominated by a Republican president and confirmed by a Republican-controlled Senate.


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49 replies = new reply since forum marked as read
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Federal Judge Calls For McConnell To Be Investigated For Improperly Pressuring Judge To Retire (Original Post) babylonsister May 2020 OP
This man needs to be out of office TDale313 May 2020 #1
Nothing will happen jimfields33 May 2020 #20
why do you feel the need NJCher May 2020 #45
I guess you're new to politics jimfields33 May 2020 #48
on the internet no one knows you're a dog NJCher May 2020 #49
treason barr will intercept . . . Iliyah May 2020 #2
THANK GOD! A fair minded judge! I couldn't be more pleased that thisn is happening to such a napi21 May 2020 #3
Investigate the Anthony Kennedy "retirement" as well and many more. Marcuse May 2020 #4
Yes, that's what I thought the title was referring to. tanyev May 2020 #5
Not so fast. Haggis for Breakfast May 2020 #13
That's why I thought the Kennedys were fully on board with whatever tanyev May 2020 #14
Kennedy had talked of retiring long before that. Texin May 2020 #37
Still makes me wonder too Proud Liberal Dem May 2020 #38
Quid pro quo and Duetche bank aeromanKC May 2020 #7
+1,000,000 This! I hope McGrath will be able to use this whole judge diva77 May 2020 #8
Yes... exactly... Mazeltov Cocktail May 2020 #46
HELL YEAH ! ! ! no_hypocrisy May 2020 #6
How many rubles madamesilverspurs May 2020 #9
That will never happen. Snackshack May 2020 #10
McConnell and the Republicans actions over appointing judges causes me at times to wonder if we cstanleytech May 2020 #11
And gop will turn around and make a 31 seat Supreme Court jimfields33 May 2020 #21
It stops when there is no more GOP. Hermit-The-Prog May 2020 #23
What you said it's true no more gop I_UndergroundPanther May 2020 #26
So let them win? cstanleytech May 2020 #24
We keep the numbers as they are. jimfields33 May 2020 #30
Will you still say this IF the following happens? Celerity May 2020 #33
Maybe there is a God? Thekaspervote May 2020 #12
Donated to McGrath earlier today. She's got a shot. ancianita May 2020 #15
Yeah right. He'll be immune from prosecution forever. budkin May 2020 #16
And Republican senators don't give a shit sakabatou May 2020 #17
McConnell, Trump, Barr..the entire GOP mountain grammy May 2020 #18
Amen mountain granny spanone May 2020 #25
How long with Chief Justice Roberts carry water for Them? flying_wahini May 2020 #19
Roberts the one who said their were no Obama of trump judges a year ago jimfields33 May 2020 #22
Donate to his opponent, Amy McGrath. He just sickens me. nt Hekate May 2020 #27
Did that today. lastlib May 2020 #28
Lock up Moscow Mitch! Kid Berwyn May 2020 #29
K&R, uponit7771 May 2020 #31
They know they are going down malaise May 2020 #32
Has there ever been consequences for "improprieties"? bucolic_frolic May 2020 #34
I hate this fucker even more than the Con. CrispyQ May 2020 #35
This is hopeless... live love laugh May 2020 #36
At least the attempt is being exposed to the public. Barr will find some way to shut it dow. mfcorey1 May 2020 #39
He's another one that needs to go. smirkymonkey May 2020 #47
they can investigate this if they want to stopdiggin May 2020 #40
Judges unethically appointed need to be removed. LiberalFighter May 2020 #41
LOCK HIM UP GODDAMMIT Blue Owl May 2020 #42
we need to undo all the other crony appointments too librechik May 2020 #43
Frum on "The Beat": State Bankruptcies would be in Federal Courts bucolic_frolic May 2020 #44

NJCher

(35,434 posts)
45. why do you feel the need
Tue May 5, 2020, 07:04 PM
May 2020

to inject your negative thinking into this discussion?

You don't know the future.

jimfields33

(15,475 posts)
48. I guess you're new to politics
Tue May 5, 2020, 09:26 PM
May 2020

From experience I stand by this. Sorry but this is a discussion and your welcome to add why you think finally Mcconnell is going down criminally.

NJCher

(35,434 posts)
49. on the internet no one knows you're a dog
Wed May 6, 2020, 10:09 PM
May 2020

So please don't tell me about your experience. Your comment adds nothing to the discussion but negativism, hopelessness, and helplessness. Who needs this kind of input?

Oh, and did I forget to add? You don't know the future.

napi21

(45,806 posts)
3. THANK GOD! A fair minded judge! I couldn't be more pleased that thisn is happening to such a
Mon May 4, 2020, 09:23 PM
May 2020

BIG N JACK A**! Now, before I start to celebrate, WGO will do this investigation? Not the US AG I hope!

tanyev

(42,362 posts)
5. Yes, that's what I thought the title was referring to.
Mon May 4, 2020, 09:43 PM
May 2020

Although I think Kennedy was more of a willing participant than pressured.

Haggis for Breakfast

(6,831 posts)
13. Not so fast.
Mon May 4, 2020, 10:15 PM
May 2020

Kennedy was not planning on retiring at that time. It was a visit from trumpie that prompted Kennedy to rethink his future. It was reported that Kennedy's son had a BIG hand in the Deutsche Bank loans that trumpie received.

tanyev

(42,362 posts)
14. That's why I thought the Kennedys were fully on board with whatever
Mon May 4, 2020, 10:23 PM
May 2020

Donny wanted to do. Wouldn’t any threat Donny could make about exposing the son also implicate himself? But then I’m not a diabolical super jeenyus like Donald Trump, so I might be missing something.

diva77

(7,606 posts)
8. +1,000,000 This! I hope McGrath will be able to use this whole judge
Mon May 4, 2020, 09:50 PM
May 2020

pressuring to retire/appointing young unqualified wingnuts mcturd scam as a persuasive talking point.

I wonder what kind of "retirement packages" some of the "retirees" have received.

Snackshack

(2,540 posts)
10. That will never happen.
Mon May 4, 2020, 09:59 PM
May 2020

CJ Roberts has shown himself to be nothing but a political tool. His conduct during the impeachment was a disgrace to the institution of Justice. He should be removed from the bench.

cstanleytech

(26,085 posts)
11. McConnell and the Republicans actions over appointing judges causes me at times to wonder if we
Mon May 4, 2020, 10:10 PM
May 2020

should change the number of federal judges to a number of these courts from 3 to 5 judges and ram through young liberal judges as well as increase scotus to 13 and do the same.

Celerity

(42,674 posts)
33. Will you still say this IF the following happens?
Tue May 5, 2020, 07:23 AM
May 2020

1. Trump nightmarishly wins re-election.
2. The Rethugs maintain Senate control.
3. RBG retires or dies and is replaced with a young RWNJ.
4. Breyer (see RBG)
5. Clarence Thomas retires to let a much younger RWNJ take his slot.

The SCOTUS is now 7-2 HARD RW for at least a decade or likely 2 and it can even go 8-1 RW IF Sotomayor is laid low by her very bad chronic diabetes (she has already been hospitalised for it before.)

How do you fix that?

That SCOTUS, via 1000 and 1 crackpot and viscous test cases rammed up an already RW-stacked (and far worse if Rump is re-elected with a Rethug Senate) lower Federal judiciary system by the Red State Attorneys General, will roll back all post-Brown v Board civil rights, including Roe v. Wade and Brown itself.

A Rethug POTUS (Trump or the next one) may damn well try and nationalise the theocracy, and say fuck you to the Blue States, fuck you to federalism and states' rights and enforce the tyranny nationally.

That is my main theory on how you can see the union being rent asunder by 2040 at the latest. The big Blue states will never submit to theocracy at gunpoint (or via financial extraction until they come to heel.) Secessionist movements will explode in California and elsewhere.

live love laugh

(13,009 posts)
36. This is hopeless...
Tue May 5, 2020, 10:31 AM
May 2020

“A top federal judge has asked Chief Justice Roberts to assign a formal investigation into whether McConnell unethically pressured a sitting judge..”

stopdiggin

(11,095 posts)
40. they can investigate this if they want to
Tue May 5, 2020, 02:14 PM
May 2020

but it's doubtful that anything illegal took place here. (at least as described in the article, and OP)

(how many have absolutely begged RBG not to retire .. for essentially the same reasons?)

bucolic_frolic

(42,679 posts)
44. Frum on "The Beat": State Bankruptcies would be in Federal Courts
Tue May 5, 2020, 06:52 PM
May 2020

Because Bankruptcy is a Constitutional legal matter. I'm guessing he's saying all those Trump judges could then invalidate state rules and laws on say labor, environment, regulation? See where this leads?

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