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Things didn't go well this week for Leonard Steven Grasz in his Senate Judiciary Committee confirmation hearings. He's been nominated to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 8th Circuit. He's also been rated as not qualified to serve a lifetime federal judicial appointment by the American Bar Association. That rating featured prominently, and unfortuately, for Grasz.
With Grasz sitting in front of the committee, Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.) read aloud passages from the ABA's eight-page statement outlining why Grasz earned such a terrible and rarely designated rating by the nation's premier legal society.
"I assume you're keenly aware that you are the first Circuit Court nominee since 2006 to receive a unanimous ‘not qualified' rating from the ABA?" Whitehouse asked Grasz. "And that the last nominee who had such a rating was withdrawn?"
"That is my understanding, senator," replied Grasz.
Awkward! It only got worse.
"Do you think that this is a matter as to which the committee should have no concern?" asked Whitehouse.
"I have great respect for the amount of time and effort the American Bar Association put into the process," said Grasz. "I respectfully disagree with the result."
Whitehouse asked him then if he was aware that the vote was unanimous, 14-0, that he was not qualified. "I'm not keenly aware of that," he replied. "I believe there was one abstention." Yes, Whitehouse answered. "That’s why it’s 14. There are 15 of them ... It's the full panel of 14 non-abstaining lawyers." So, ouch. The ABA gave this rating because they concluded that Grasz would be "unable to separate his role as an advocate from that of a judge." That and in interviews with Grasz's colleagues, they learned he was often "gratuitously rude" and that many had an "unusual fear" that were they to say anything bad about him, they would suffer professionally because of his "deep connection and allegiance" to powerful politicians in his home state of Nebraska.
Speaking of which, Republican Nebraska Sen. Deb Fischer (who recommended him to Trump) is "shocked" at the ABA rating and is certain that this is all "a baseless political character assassination" because she didn't hear "one single temperament issue" about Grasz in all her discussions about him with Nebraskans. Well, yeah. The ABA kind of explained that by saying people were afraid to speak against him because of his power connections. Like to Fischer. And of course claiming it's politics is bullshit by virtue of the fact that 40 out of 42 of Trump's nominees got a "qualified" or "well qualified" rating, even though some of them are political extremists.
Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley of Iowa has invited the ABA to come testify about Grasz in two weeks, if the White House hasn't decided to pull the nomination by then. Which it probably won't do. Have you looked at who is sitting behind the big desk in the Oval Office? Like he knows from qualified.