Gerald Ford judicial appointment controversies

During President Gerald Ford's presidency, he nominated two people for two different federal appellate judgeships who were not processed by the Democratic-controlled Senate Judiciary Committee before Ford's presidency ended. Neither of the two nominees was renominated by Ford's successor, President Jimmy Carter. Both nominees were nominated after July 1, 1976, the traditional start date of the unofficial Thurmond Rule during a presidential election year. Both seats eventually were filled by appointees of President Jimmy Carter.

The two nominees were blocked in committee; no committee hearings ever were held for either one.

List of failed nominees

• United States Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit
  • Tennessee seat - Harry W. Wellford (judgeship later filled by Carter nominee Gilbert S. Merritt, Jr.) (In 1982, Wellford was nominated by President Ronald Reagan to a different seat on the Sixth Circuit; he was quickly confirmed by the United States Senate)
• United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit
  • Arizona seat - Richard Bilby (judgeship later filled by Carter nominee Thomas Tang) (In 1979, Bilby was appointed by President Jimmy Carter to a seat on the United States District Court for the District of Arizona.)

According to an October 12, 1976 memo to President Ford from his personnel director, Douglas Bennett, eight U.S. district court nominees also were nominated during 1976 but never acted upon by the U.S. Senate: Ed Bethune (nominated June 15, 1976), Donald G. Brotzman (nominated July 22, 1976), Elizabeth A. Kovachevich (nominated June 8, 1976; later nominated by President Reagan to a district court seat and confirmed by the U.S. Senate), John Moore (nominated August 4, 1976), Richard Revell (nominated April 26, 1976), Donald Walter (nominated August 5, 1976; later nominated by President Reagan to a district court seat and confirmed by the U.S. Senate), Herbert De Simone (nominated August 5, 1976), and James Andersen (nominated August 6, 1976).

See also

• Gerald Ford Supreme Court candidates
• United States federal judge
• Federal judicial appointment history