In a move that stunned legal watchdogs, civil rights groups, and even some within their own ranks, Senate Republicans voted Tuesday to confirm Emil Bove—Donald Trump’s former personal attorney—to the 3rd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals. The 50–49 vote, cast strictly along party lines with the exception of two GOP defectors, grants Bove a lifetime seat on the federal bench despite a growing storm of whistleblower allegations surrounding his past conduct at the Department of Justice.

Bove’s confirmation marks a dramatic flashpoint in the ongoing reshaping of the federal judiciary under Trump’s second term, and perhaps the most controversial yet. Three whistleblowers have come forward, alleging Bove not only skirted DOJ procedures but actively encouraged subordinates to ignore federal court orders related to Trump’s deportation policies.

According to sworn testimony submitted to the Senate Judiciary Committee, Bove allegedly told DOJ lawyers they should be prepared to defy judicial rulings—saying they might have to tell the courts, “F— you.”

That allegation, first brought forward by former DOJ attorney Erez Reuveni and corroborated by a second whistleblower, was enough to sway Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-AK), who broke with her party to vote against the nomination.

> “I don’t think that somebody who has counseled other attorneys to reject the law should be placed in a lifetime seat on the bench,” Murkowski told NBC News.

Susan Collins (R-ME) also voted no, citing what she called a “clear pattern of disregard for legal process.”

Despite this, Senate Judiciary Chair Chuck Grassley (R-IA) waved off the whistleblower reports as “breathless accusations,” defending Bove as a man of “honor” and “legal expertise.”

> “He denied these allegations under oath,” Grassley said on the floor. “Democrats crossed the line with their smear tactics.”

That defense did little to sway Democrats.

Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) delivered a blistering rebuke before the vote, calling Bove “a Trumpian henchman — the extreme of the extreme of the extreme.”

> “He is openly hostile to the rule of law,” Schumer thundered. “And above all, Mr. Bove is religiously obedient to Donald Trump. This is a dark, dark day.”

The confirmation has even raised alarms in traditionally conservative circles. The Wall Street Journal’s editorial board, hardly a bastion of liberal criticism, warned that Bove had developed a reputation as a “smashmouth partisan who wields the law as a weapon.”

Adding to the controversy was a third whistleblower, who surfaced just days before the vote. According to Senate aides, this individual alleged Bove misled senators during his confirmation hearing about his role in dismissing a DOJ case involving New York Mayor Eric Adams. While the specifics remain undisclosed, insiders say the claim involves potential obstruction and dishonesty under oath.

Still, Republicans—save for Collins and Murkowski—marched forward.

> “He served Trump. That’s the only credential that matters now,” one Democratic aide told NBC under condition of anonymity.

In a last-minute plea, Sens. Cory Booker (D-NJ) and Adam Schiff (D-CA) sent a letter to the DOJ’s acting Inspector General, requesting a formal investigation into Bove’s past conduct and urging the Senate to delay the vote.

Their warning went unheeded.

Sen. Thom Tillis (R-NC), considered a potential swing vote, admitted he had been approached by multiple whistleblowers but claimed the “eleventh-hour nature” of the revelations reminded him of the 2018 Brett Kavanaugh confirmation battle. He voted yes.

For critics, Bove’s confirmation is just the latest example of Trump’s consolidation of power through the courts.

> “This isn’t about qualifications. It’s about loyalty,” said Maya Wiley, president of the Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights. “We’re watching the judicial branch become a MAGA weapon.”

With this vote, the 3rd Circuit—covering Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Delaware, and the Virgin Islands—now includes a judge who, according to multiple witnesses, once suggested the executive branch ignore the judiciary altogether.