In response to reports by the White House that the nomination of Brett Talley for the United States District Court for the Middle District of Alabama will not be moving forward, People For the American Way Executive Vice President Marge Baker issued the following statement:

“This announcement is a big win for the American people, for our activists and for anyone who cares about our federal courts. It shows that even in a Senate controlled by Mitch McConnell, organizers and activists have the power to raise the alarm about Donald Trump’s efforts to pack the courts with extreme and unqualified nominees.

“The issues raised by Brett Talley’s nomination don’t end with Talley. This nominee helped expose the glaring negligence of the White House counsel’s office and the Senate Judiciary Committee when it comes to vetting nominees. Chuck Grassley, who raised concerns about Talley yesterday, was instrumental in pushing his nomination through the committee on a party line vote weeks ago. If he had done his job properly, Talley wouldn’t have come within a mile of a lifetime seat on the federal bench.

“Donald Trump has made clear that he has no respect for the Senate’s role of advice and consent, and Republicans have rolled over every step of the way. The fact that Talley didn’t get confirmed to a lifetime seat on the federal bench is the exception that proves the rule. Republicans need to stop being doormats for Trump’s takeover of the federal courts and start earning their paychecks.”

More about Talley’s record:

• He was evaluated as unanimously unqualified to be a judge by the American Bar Association.
• He has two years’ experience practicing law.
• He has tweeted that Hillary Clinton should be in jail.
• He said in response to the Sandy Hook massacre that “My solution would be to stop being a society of pansies and man up.”

People For the American Way is a progressive advocacy organization founded to fight right-wing extremism and defend constitutional values including free expression, religious liberty, equal justice under the law, and the right to meaningfully participate in our democracy.

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