The Senate Confirmed Him 97–0. That Vote Is Not a Lifetime Shield.

DOCUMENTED

United States Capitol, west front. Architect of the Capitol. U.S. government work.

President George W. Bush nominated John D. Bates to the United States District Court for the District of Columbia. The Federal Judicial Center records a first nomination on June 20, 2001, returned without a Senate vote, then a nomination on September 4, 2001, to the seat vacated by Stanley S. Harris.

The Senate roll-call for vote 361, 107th Congress, 1st Session, is titled “Confirmation John D. Bates, of Maryland, to be U.S. District Judge for the District of Columbia.” Date: December 11, 2001. Result: Nomination Confirmed, 97 yeas, 0 nays. Congress.gov lists the nomination as PN906.

The FJC states the commission issued December 14, 2001. The D.C. court biography says he was appointed United States District Judge in December 2001. A unanimous confirmation is a recorded vote. It is not a finding about later orders.

Sources

U.S. Senate. Roll Call Vote 361, 107th Cong., 1st Sess. (Dec. 11, 2001). www.senate.gov

Congress.gov. PN906 — John D. Bates — The Judiciary, 107th Congress. www.congress.gov

Federal Judicial Center. “Bates, John D.” www.fjc.gov

U.S. District Court for D.C. Official bio. www.dcd.uscourts.gov

Opinion

The following is commentary by this site. It is not a finding of fact and not a legal conclusion.

Compiler take

Ninety-seven to nothing. Bush put him on the D.C. trial court that later ate so many Trump cases. A confirmation is not a lifetime hall pass.