Chad Meredith, Trump pick for KY federal judge, gets Senate committee OK
Chad Meredith is one step closer to becoming Kentucky’s newest federal judge.
The litigator, nominated in June by President Donald Trump to fill a spot on the bench of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Kentucky, was given a thumbs up by the Senate Judiciary Committee Thursday morning after Democrats voiced brief opposition to his nomination.
The committee approved Meredith’s nomination 12-10, with all Republicans voting yes and all Democrats voting no. Meredith had already received a hearing in the committee this July, facing several tough questions from Democrats.
The last step for Meredith to join the federal bench is a vote of the full Senate. Republicans, who control a 53-member majority in the body, can invoke cloture to pass his and other judicial nominations with a simple majority.
Meredith is set to fill the seat of Judge Danny Reeves, who took senior status earlier this year. Meredith is currently employed at the Cincinnati-based law firm Squire Patton Boggs, where he was recently promoted to partner.
Three years ago, Meredith was slated to be nominated by former Democratic President Joe Biden in a rare deal between Biden and Kentucky GOP Sen. Mitch McConnell. The plan was dropped, however, due to the opposition of Kentucky Sen. Rand Paul. This time around, Paul is supporting Meredith’s nomination.
Meredith’s nomination moved through the GOP-controlled Senate Judiciary Committee quickly. Only Sen. Dick Durbin of Illinois, the committee’s ranking Democratic member, voiced concern over Meredith’s nomination.
“Mr. Meredith has insulted women everywhere when he argued in court that doctors should be required to provide certain information to female patients because these women ‘don’t understand’ their own medical needs,”
That was a reference to Meredith’s defense of a Kentucky law requiring doctors to show and describe images of a fetal ultrasound, among other things, to a patient before performing an abortion. Meredith was deputy general counsel to former Gov. Matt Bevin at the time.
Past criticisms of Meredith have centered around his views on abortion and his time in Bevin’s office. He faced several questions during his committee hearing about a series of controversial pardons issued by Bevin near the end of his term, including the pardon of Patrick Baker, a man who invaded a couple’s home, killing a man and pointing a gun at a pregnant woman and children. Meredith has denied involvement in the most controversial pardons.
Democrats spent more energy opposing other nominees, particularly those nominated to be U.S. Circuit Judges. Joshua A. Dunlap, a nominee for the First Circuit Court of Appeals, was criticized fiercely by Rhode Island Democratic Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse.
“He is as hostile to gay marriage as he is to women’s reproductive choice,” Whitehouse said.
Carl Tobias, a professor at the University of Richmond School of Law who follows judicial nominations and watched the proceedings Thursday, told the Herald-Leader that the timing of Meredith’s approval by the full Senate is uncertain given a pending fight over government funding this month. He added that the two circuit judge nominees discussed Thursday will likely be given priority over district judge nominees like Meredith.
“I expect that the Senate will confirm (Meredith) on a party-line vote, but the timing is unclear due to the possible funding fight and shutdown,” Tobias wrote.
Meredith has deep ties to the Republican Party in Kentucky through his father, state Sen. Stephen Meredith, R-Leitchfield; his former employment in the governor’s office; and via McConnell, who championed his nomination both times. Meredith also interned for the longtime senator in 2003.
“I’ve been impressed to watch a former ‘McIntern’ through the decades succeed in the legal field, public service, and now to be nominated to the federal bench,” McConnell said during Meredith’s committee hearing in July.
