Trump's Not Happy With Judge Selected in Comey Case

The criminal case against former FBI Director James Comey, initiated at the urging of President Trump, will be overseen by a judge appointed by Trump's predecessor. US District Judge Michael Nachmanoff was appointed by President Biden in 2021. He was selected Thursday night through the court's random assignment process, Politico reports. His appointment quickly drew attention, as the case is seen as a test of Trump's use of federal legal power to exact revenge.

• Nachmanoff is no stranger to cases connected to Trump's sphere. As a federal magistrate judge in 2019, he presided over the arraignment of Rudy Giuliani associates Lev Parnas and Igor Fruman, both charged with campaign finance violations. He allowed them to await trial on a $1 million bond.
• More recently, Nachmanoff sided with the CIA in dismissing a doctor targeted by Trump allies due to her advocacy for COVID vaccine mandates during her time at the Pentagon.

• The judge's path to the federal bench was a close one, confirmed by a 52-46 Senate vote with support from only three Republican senators—Sens. Lindsey Graham, Susan Collins, and Lisa Murkowski.
• Prior to his judgeship, Nachmanoff served over a decade as a federal criminal defender, with his office representing clients including al-Qaeda operative Zacarias Moussaoui and Somali pirates caught after an attack on a Navy ship.

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• When he was a public defender, Nachmanoff advocated against mandatory minimum sentences, Reuters reports. He secured a 7-2 victory in a 2007 Supreme Court case on judicial discretion in sentencing related to crack-cocaine offenses.
• Comey, accused of lying to Congress in 2020, will make his first appearance before Nachmanoff when he is arraigned on Oct. 9, the Hill reports. "My heart is broken for the Department of Justice, but I have great confidence in the federal judicial system," Comey said Thursday. "And I'm innocent. So, let's have a trial. And keep the faith."
• Trump celebrated the indictment on Friday, though in a Truth Social post, he said Comey was "assigned a Crooked Joe Biden appointed Judge, so he's off to a very good start."