Red Flags and Blue Slips Should Sink Lifetime Nomination of Michael Brennan to Federal Court

MADISON, Wis. — The Senate Judiciary today set aside common decency and its own long-standing traditions and rules in voting to approve Donald Trump’s nomination of Michael Brennan to fill the “Wisconsin seat” on the 7th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals.

The seat was open for Trump to fill because Republican Sen. Ron Johnson obstructed consideration of previous nominees since 2011. Brennan was chosen despite not being recommended through the traditional bipartisan process used by Wisconsin’s U.S. Senators since the 1970’s, and his nomination is being rammed through the U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee with an unprecedented partisan power play.

Prior to becoming a Trump nominee, Brennan served as the head of Gov. Scott Walker’s judicial commission, responsible for vetting and recommending candidates for state judicial vacancies.

The following are the statements of One Wisconsin Institute Program Director Analiese Eicher:

“Michael Brennan is the wrong nominee for a lifetime court appointment, and Donald Trump and his Senate Republican enablers are using the wrong process in ramming through his nomination.

“There are huge red flags with this guy, who thinks Rebecca Bradley with her virulent homophobia, antipathy to women who were the victims of date rape and opposition to legal contraception, and Daniel Kelly, who compared affirmative action to slavery, were qualified for the Wisconsin Supreme Court.

“We count on our federal courts to treat everyone equally before the law and where we can turn to protect our rights and stop government overreaches.

“And anyone who thinks people with views like Bradley and Kelly are state high court justice material has no business being considered for a lifetime appointment to the federal bench.”