A lifetime appointment to the federal bench is a helluva thanks present! Choose Ed Artau of Florida’s Fourth District Courtroom of Enchantment was confirmed to the District Courtroom for the Southern District of Florida, alongside social gathering traces as a result of it’s the yr of our Lord 2025.
Artau made authorized information just lately after he, as a part of an appellate panel, signed off on Donald Trump’s… interesting legal theory that he can file a defamation lawsuit in opposition to the Pulitzer Prize Board for refusing to rescind the award given to journalists reporting on the Russian interference within the 2016 presidential election. However extra than simply be a part of the choice, Artau wrote a concurrence endorsing Trump’s model of the election, writing, “‘FAKE NEWS.’ ‘The phony Witch Hunt.’ And ‘an enormous hoax.’ President Donald J. Trump has publicly used these phrases to explain the now debunked allegations that he colluded with the Russians to win the 2016 presidential election.”
And just some months later, Artau obtained a nomination to a lifetime place.
Democrats have additionally questioned the timing of the nom, as reported by Reuters:
Democratic lawmakers have questioned the timing of Artau’s nomination, as he disclosed he had spoken with Senator Rick Scott’s basic counsel a couple of potential nomination within the days after Trump was elected in November 2024 and interviewed with the White Home two weeks after the courtroom dominated.
Senate Minority Chief Chuck Schumer, a Democrat from New York, on the Senate flooring on Monday accused Artau of a battle of curiosity, saying he presided over the case whereas concurrently “begging Donald Trump and Republican senators for a judgeship.”
“He’s one of the blatant instances of quid professional quo I’ve ever seen,” Schumer mentioned.
Artau can also be on the vanguard of far-right jurists itching to overturn the defamation precedent enshrined in New York Occasions v. Sullivan. Which looks like one other indicator that the First Modification is about to get a troubling makeover.
Kathryn Rubino is a Senior Editor at Above the Legislation, host of The Jabot podcast, and co-host of Thinking Like A Lawyer. AtL tipsters are one of the best, so please join together with her. Be happy to electronic mail her with any suggestions, questions, or feedback and comply with her on Twitter @Kathryn1 or Mastodon @[email protected].
