I’ve heard little lately about Sen. Dan Sullivan’s new council for selecting Alaska federal judges. On Sept. 22, the ADN noted that Sen. Sullivan does not agree with the way Alaska judges are nominated for the federal court, so he has hand-picked a panel to advise him on selecting federal judges.
It looks like Sen. Sullivan is taking a page from Leonard Leo’s handbook on how to change federal courts to fit his political agenda. Mr. Leo is the Federalist Society gentleman who submitted a narrow list of vetted conservative judges to the former president to sit on the U.S. Supreme Court, including Brett Kavanaugh and Amy Coney Barrett, and who also gave us Judge Aileen Cannon, who is presiding over the Donald Trump classified-documents case in Florida, as well as Judge Matthew Kacsmaryk of the U.S. District Court for Northern District of Texas, who has repeatedly ruled against women’s reproductive health care.
Apparently Sen. Sullivan does not like the way Alaska nominations for federal judgeships are established: a list of nominees is vetted by the Alaska Bar Association, which polls bar members regarding the qualifications of those listed as potential federal judges.
It seems Sen. Sullivan is not interested in a pool of qualified attorneys that reflects a spectrum of experience and inclusion, regardless of political persuasion. He wants nominees whose politics mirror his, and disregards the legal abilities of those nominated. At least, that’s what it looks like what he wants.
— Louise Lazur
Anchorage
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