- 2/15/2025 5:01:00 AM
Loading
U.S. Senators Dan Sullivan and Lisa Murkowski from Alaska Public Media expressed horror at the behavior of former Alaska U.S. District Court judge Joshua Kindred, whom they had recommended for the position. Kindred resigned on Monday following a report from a council of federal judges that found he had sexually harassed and sent vulgar messages to law clerks, as well as lied about his conduct. This raises concerns about the selection process. Despite being nominated by then-President Donald Trump in 2019 on the senators' recommendation, both Murkowski and Sullivan expressed disappointment and anger at Kindred's actions. They emphasized that his behavior was not evident during the vetting process. Retired state judge Elaine Andrews highlighted the flaws in the federal system of selecting judges, contrasting it with the merit-based selection process in Alaska's state courts. To reduce political influence in the selection process, Alaska's senators have sought input from the Alaska Bar Association to evaluate candidates for the federal bench. Kindred ranked low on the Bar poll, with only 15% of respondents considering him qualified. Andrews believes this information should have been taken more seriously. Liz Ruskin, the Washington, D.C. correspondent at Alaska Public Media, reported on this issue. For more information, visit her page.
Comments
Leave a Reply