Justin R. Walker
On April 3, 2020, President Donald Trump announced his intent to nominate Judge Justin R. Walker to serve on the United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit. On May 4, 2020, the White House sent his nomination to the Senate. Walker would fill the seat to be vacated by Judge Thomas B. Griffith on September 1, 2020. On May 6, 2020, the Senate Judiciary Committee held a confirmation hearing for Walker.
The Constitutional Accountability Center scrutinized Walker’s record and testimony closely. We were left with serious concerns that he has not demonstrated the fairness and independence from both politics and the elected branches of government necessary to fulfill the proper role of a judge in our federal system. Furthermore, his record suggests that he will not be faithful to the Constitution’s whole text, history, and values—particularly the post-Civil War amendments that pushed our nation further along the arc of progress toward fulfilling our Founding values of equality and justice. Nor does his record suggest he will be faithful to longstanding Supreme Court precedent that ensures an effective federal government. As a result of his record and testimony at his confirmation hearing, CAC opposed Walker’s confirmation on May 28, 2020.
Below is a sampling of CAC’s work examining Judge Justin Walker’s record.
Letter