DOJ Cuts ABA Access to Judicial Nominees as Trump Undermines Accountability

The Department of Justice (DOJ), led by Attorney General Pam Bondi, has announced a significant cut in the American Bar Association’s (ABA) access to judicial nominees. In a letter to the ABA, the DOJ accused the organization of maintaining a biased rating process, particularly after the ABA rated some of President Trump’s nominees as unqualified. This move reflects Trump’s ongoing efforts to undermine institutions that hold his administration accountable.

Bondi stated that the ABA is no longer seen as a fair evaluator of judicial qualifications, asserting that its ratings disproportionately favor nominees from Democratic administrations. As a result, the DOJ will no longer allow nominees to share non-public information or respond to ABA questionnaires, effectively limiting the ABA’s ability to assess judicial candidates.

Historically, the ABA has provided valuable assessments of judicial nominees, but during Trump’s presidency, this relationship has soured. In previous administrations, only a few judicial nominations received “not qualified” ratings, whereas Trump’s tenure has seen a notable increase in such ratings. This trend raises concerns about the integrity of the judicial selection process under Trump’s influence.

The Trump administration has previously targeted the ABA through various actions, including an executive order that sought to reevaluate the ABA’s role in law school accreditation. These retaliatory measures culminated in a lawsuit where a judge affirmed that the ABA’s First Amendment rights were violated by the government’s actions against it.

Overall, this latest decision by the DOJ demonstrates Trump’s relentless campaign against institutions that seek to provide oversight and accountability, solidifying his pattern of undermining democracy while aligning with partisan interests aimed at consolidating power and diminishing judicial independence.