Washington, D.C. -- Today, the Human Rights Campaign (HRC), the nation’s largest lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ) civil rights organization, called on the U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee to reject two of Trump’s recent federal judicial nominees: John Bush, nominated to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit; and Damien Schiff, nominated to the U.S. Court of Federal Claims.

 

 

 

In letters to the Senate Judiciary Committee today, HRC reviewed their long public track records of both candidates speaking out against the equality of LGBTQ people and their families and called on the Committee to reject his nomination.  Last week, both nominees appeared before the Senate Judiciary Committee, where they failed to distance themselves from offensive blog posts disparaging LGBTQ people and failed to show that they could produce impartial judgements based upon fact rather than ideology.

 

“Bush and Schiff are truly unfit to serve in our federal courts and pose a serious threat to LGBTQ people and minority communities across the nation,” said Sarah Warbelow, HRC Legal Director. “Throughout their careers, each has demonstrated contempt for LGBTQ people in their dangerous online writing. These nominees represent an alarming trend of the Trump/Pence Administration appointing individuals who will roll back vital protections for marginalized people. HRC is calling on the U.S. Senate to reject the nominations of John Bush and Damien Schiff and urges the Trump administration to bring forward fair-minded nominees to serve as federal judges.”

 

During his hearing, Damien Schiff defended his blog post in which he called Justice Anthony Kennedy a “judicial prostitute”. Schiff’s blog also included his writings:

 

 

 

The Human Rights Campaign is America’s largest civil rights organization working to achieve lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer equality. HRC envisions a world where LGBTQ people are embraced as full members of society at home, at work and in every community.