After Trump Nominee to D.C. District Court Withdraws Name, Norton Says White House Should Consult Her and Her Nominating Commission on Candidates

WASHINGTON, D.C.—Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC) released the following statement after Matthew Petersen, President Trump's nominee to serve on the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, today withdrew his name from consideration after he could not answer basic questions about federal legal procedure at his confirmation hearing last week.

"Faced with tough, revealing questions from a Republican senator, Petersen ultimately could not get the votes even of Republicans. D.C.'s District Court is one of the most important federal courts in the nation and should be filled with judges who have first-rate qualifications and experience. The White House should learn from this embarrassing moment and, at the very least, extend to District of Columbia residents the courtesy of consulting on nominees to our federal bench here. The last three administrations have given me a role in the vetting process of nominees, and last week's hearing shows what can happen when the White House excludes the local jurisdiction from the nominating process of judges to its federal district court. We have a talented and diverse pool of candidates here in the District, and we already have three prime candidates the White House could nominate right now. Florence Pan, Abid Quereshi and Todd Edelman were nominated by President Obama to the D.C. court last Congress after being fully vetted and recommended by my nominating commission, but were not ultimately confirmed by the Senate. I am ready to work with the White House on their next nomination to our court here."

The Senate has confirmed three Trump nominees to the D.C. District Court, which comprises half of the Senate-confirmed district court nominees this year. Norton said the high volume of D.C. District court confirmations is due to the District's lack of Senate representation and blue-slip authority.

Presidents Obama and Clinton granted Norton senatorial courtesy to recommend to the president federal district judges, the U.S. Attorney, and other federal law enforcement officials who serve the District, resulting in the D.C. District Court becoming one of the most high-quality and diverse federal benches in the nation. She chose to form a Federal Law Enforcement Nominating Commission, comprised of distinguished lawyers and laypeople from every ward, chaired by Pauline Schneider, a former president of the D.C. Bar, to screen and recommend candidates to her, all of whom were D.C. residents. Norton then made her recommendations to the president, who nominated all of her selections. Unlike President George W. Bush, who extended her at least the courtesy of consultation, Trump has not provided Norton with any role in the nomination of federal district court judges and federal law enforcement officials in the District. However, after Norton protested, her office worked with the offices of Senate Judiciary Committee Ranking Member Dianne Feinstein (D-CA) and committee member Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) to require all D.C. district court nominees to meet with Norton before their committee votes.