In response to the Senate Judiciary Committee’s party-line vote to advance the nomination of Steven Menashi to serve on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit, Sasha J. Buchert, Senior Attorney at Lambda Legal issued the following statement:
“Once again, Senate Judiciary Republicans have chosen to close ranks in order to advance one of Donald Trump’s most dangerous nominees to date, Steven Menashi for the Second Circuit Court of Appeals.
"In addition to serving as the court of last resort for litigants in Connecticut, New York and Vermont, the Second Circuit hears numerous cases each year that are of national import.
"We are deeply troubled by the prospect that Mr. Menashi has now moved one step closer to a lifetime appointment to that court in light of all the ways in which his record casts doubt on his ability to administer fair and impartial justice.
“Mr. Menashi has consistently expressed his animosity towards LGBT people in his personal writings, and has actively undermined the rights of women, people of color and other vulnerable groups throughout his career. For this reason, Lambda Legal and over 20 LGBT organizations signed on to a letter opposing his confirmation.
“Mr. Menashi’s record reflects the language of a partisan advocate, not of a federal judge, and gives us no reason to believe that LGBT people would receive equal justice in his courtroom. We are once again deeply disappointed at the unwillingness of Senate Judiciary Republicans to defend the integrity of our federal courts, and call upon the full Senate to oppose this unqualified and dangerous nomination.”
