Sen. Peter Welch (D-VT) questioned President Donald Trump's nominee at the Third Circuit Court on Wednesday and pinpointed the attorney's conflicting statements.
Speaking to top Justice Department lawyer Emil Bove, Welch pointed out complaints about his temperament and allegations of bullying colleagues, as well as accusations of prosecutorial misconduct.
Welch noted that Bove answered previous questions to Sen. Cory Booker (D-NJ) that there were never complaints made ethically and that there would be a responsibility of an attorney under the judicial code to formally make such complaints. Welch said he disagreed with that, noting that he noticed as a defense attorney that the "temperament issue doesn't usually get into whether it is an ethical violation or not."
A judge found that errors by Bove "were so severe that following the jury verdict in his favor, the government determined that further prosecution of the case would not be in the interest of justice," read Welch.
"This is a case where prosecutorial assets were used, there was a convention, and you, the prosecution, had to end it, right?" the senator asked.
Bove said that he took over as a supervisor because he was "so disturbed by the violations that had taken place."
But Welch read that the judge alleged, "You offered little in the way of supervision."
Bove swore that it wasn't accurate as he had phone records showing he called prosecutors after 10 p.m. on a Saturday and Sunday.
Welch then brought up the office's executive committee, which discussed "behavioral problems" and addressing the accusations of prosecutorial misconduct. Welch said it was his understanding that Bove left shortly after the investigation.
Bove answered that it was not correct.
Welch asked when he left the prosecutor's office.
Bove said that it was in December 2021.
"December 2021? Yeah. Well, that's shortly after the 2021 investigation," said Welch.
See the exchange below or at the link here.