With the confirmation of a nominee to the 3rd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, President Trump has for the first time in his presidency flipped an appeals court to have a majority of Republican-appointed judges.
The approval of Paul Matey, who was deputy chief counsel to GOP New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie during the “Bridgegate” controversy, to the federal appeals court in Philadelphia marked a milestone in the efforts by the president and the Republican-controlled Senate to reshape the federal judiciary.
The Senate approved Matey’s nomination in a 54-45 vote on Tuesday. He is the 35th appeals court nominee confirmed since Trump took office. Sen. Joe Manchin, D-W.Va., was the only Democrat to join with his Republican colleagues in voting for Matey.
Matey, 48, a partner at Lowenstein Sandler and member of the conservative Federalist Society, was first nominated to the federal bench in April. His nomination was opposed by his home state U.S. senators Bob Menendez and Cory Booker, both Democrats.
With his confirmation, the 3rd Circuit will have a 7-6 majority of judges appointed by Republican presidents. When Trump took office in January 2017, there were five Republican-appointed judges and seven Democratic-appointed judges on the court. – READ MORE