November 4, 2019
Washington, DC
Conservatives are proud to support the nomination of Lawrence VanDyke to the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals, and once again reject the baseless smears of the American Bar Association.
That VanDyke is an eminently qualified jurist is not in doubt. He graduated magna cum laude from Harvard Law School and served as editor of the Harvard Law Review. Subsequently, he clerked for Judge Janice Rogers Brown on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit before launching his appellate career, including serving as both the solicitor general of Montana and Nevada. VanDyke has argued over 20 appeals in the federal circuit courts, and has been the counsel of record on 28 briefs before the U.S. Supreme Court.
This has not stopped the ABA, however, from rating him as “not qualified” for reasons of “professional incompetence” and “judicial temperament.” Accusations that, as Sen. Josh Hawley (R-Mo.), Sen. Mike Lee (R-Utah), and Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) pointed out in VanDyke’s hearing before the Senate Judiciary Committee, were not annotated and largely based on anonymous sources.
This is especially troubling considering that the ABA speculated VanDyke might not be fair to members of the LGBTQ community, a claim that VanDyke renounced, citing his belief that all people are worthy of dignity and respect.
This so-called “objective” rating was determined by an evaluation conducted by a Montana trial attorney named Marcia Davenport who, in 2014, donated to VanDyke’s political opponent in a campaign for the Montana Supreme Court.
In fact, a former Nevada State Bar President quit the ABA over its treatment of VanDyke, citing their troubling reliance on anonymous information to assess judicial nominees.
These overt smears of Lawrence VanDyke and the continued mistreatment of conservative-leaning judicial nominees by the ABA is reprehensible. The ABA should no longer have a privileged place at the table in assessing judicial nominations.
Lawrence VanDyke is a brilliant and accomplished jurist and deserves swift confirmation.
| The Honorable Edwin Meese III Attorney General President Ronald Reagan (1985-1988) |
Alfred S. Regnery Chairman, Conservative Action Project Chairman, Law Enforcement Legal Defense Fund |
| The Honorable Colin A. Hanna President Let Freedom Ring, Inc. |
Jenny Beth Martin Chairman Tea Party Patriots Citizen Fund |
| Kelly J. Shackelford, Esq. Chairman, CNP Action, Inc. President and CEO, First Liberty Institute |
Lisa B. Nelson Chief Executive Officer American Legislative Exchange Council |
| Mary Vought Executive Director Senate Conservatives Fund |
The Honorable T. Kenneth Cribb, Jr. Chief Domestic Advisor President Ronald Reagan (1987-1988) |
| The Honorable Jim DeMint Chairman, Conservative Partnership Institute Member, US Senate (SC 2005-2013) |
Ed Corrigan Vice Chairman, Conservative Action Project Executive Director, Conservative Partnership Institute |
| The Honorable Becky Norton Dunlop White House Advisor President Ronald Reagan (1981-1985) |
The Honorable Matt Schlapp Chairman American Conservative Union (ACU) |
| The Honorable Donald Paul Hodel U.S. Secretary of Energy (1982-1985) U.S. Secretary of Interior (1985-1989) |
Cleta Mitchell, Esq. |
| Rachel Bovard Senior Director of Policy Conservative Partnership Institute (CPI) |
The Honorable J. Kenneth Blackwell Chairman Constitutional Congress, Inc. |
| Tom McClusky President March for Life Action |
William L. Walton President Council for National Policy |
| Adam Brandon President FreedomWorks |
The Honorable Tony Perkins President Family Research Council |
| David Bozell President ForAmerica |
The Honorable Bob McEwen U.S. House of Representatives Former Member, Ohio |
| Marjorie Dannenfelser President Susan B. Anthony List |
Noah Wall Vice President of Advocacy FreedomWorks |
| Penny Y. Nance President & CEO Concerned Women for America |
Lt. Gen. William G. Boykin (Ret.) Executive Vice President Family Research Council |
| L. Brent Bozell, III Founder and President Media Research Center |
The Honorable James C. Miller III Director of OMB, 1985-1988 |
| Catherine Glenn Foster President & CEO Americans United for Life |
The Honorable Gary L. Bauer President American Values |
| Jim Backlin Vice President of Legislative Affairs Christian Coalition of America |
Lewis K. Uhler Founder and President National Tax Limitation Committee |
| Amapola Hansberger President Legal Immigrants for America |
Karen England Executive Director Nevada Family Alliance |
| Ron Robinson President Young America’s Foundation |
Jay Mount President MDS Communications |
| Joan Holt Lindsey President Lindsey Communications |
Dr. Jerome Corsi, Ph.D Founder and CEO CorsiNation.com |
| Ralph Benko Chairman The Capitalist League |
Floyd Brown Chairman America Fighting Back PAC |
| Susan Carleson Chairman/CEO Carleson Center for Welfare Reform |
Peter Thomas Chairman The Conservative Caucus |
| Sal Russo Co-Founder and Chief Strategist Tea Party Express |
Kathleen A. Patten President & CEO American Target Advertising |
| Len Munsil President Arizona Christian University |
The Honorable Briscoe Cain State Representative, Dist. 128 Texas Legislature |
| Dr. John C. Eastman Senior Fellow, The Claremont Institute Salvatori Professor, Chapman University Fowler School of Law |
Ron Pearson Executive Director Conservative Victory Fund |
| William Shaker CEO Washington Marketing Group |
John Joseph Park Conservative Activist and Donor Law Offices of Jack Park |
| Elise Neff Executive Assistant Students for Life of America |
Robert Fischer Meeting Coordinator Conservatives of Faith |
| Gary Marx Senior Advisor Judicial Crisis Network |
Jeremy Cerone CEO EliteSafe Inc. |
| Charlie Copeland President Intercollegiate Studies Institute |
William W. Pascoe, III Board Member Tea Party Patriots Action |
| Seton Motley President Less Government |
Judson Phillips Founder Tea Party Nation |
| James L. Martin Founder/Chairman 60 Plus Association |
Raymond J. LaJeunesse, Jr. Vice President & Legal Director National Right to Work Legal Defense Foundation |
| Stephen T. Whelan Chairman The Witherspoon Institute, Princeton, NJ |
Saulius “Saul” Anuzis President 60 Plus Association |
| Dr. Richard Rounsavelle Trustee Media Research Center |
Melvin Adams Past President RENEWANATION |
| Elaine Donnelly President Center for Military Readiness |
Roxanne Phillips Member, Executive Committee Council for National Policy |
| The Honorable Mike Hill Representative Florida State House |
Ed Martin President Phyllis Schlafly Eagles |
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Mario Navarro da Costa Director, Washington Bureau Tradition, Family, Property |
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| Lee Beaman CEO Beaman Automotive Group |
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| The Honorable Diana Denman Presidential Appointee President Ronald Reagan |
Reverend Frank Pavone National Director Priests for Life |
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Charlie Gerow Vice Chairman American Conservative Union |
| John F. Tate President America’s Liberty PAC |
Allen Hebert Chairman American-Chinese Fellowship of Houston |
| Andresen Blom President Hawaiian Values |
Paavo Ensio Chairman Universal Minerals Group |
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Chad Connelly President Faith Wins |
| Sandy Rios Director of Governmental Affairs American Family Association |
Steve Berger Pastor Grace Chapel |
| The Honorable Penny Pullen President Life Advocacy Resource Project |
Melissa Ortiz Founder & Principal Able Americans |
| Curt Levey President Committee for Justice |
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