Bove's candidacy was sent to the U.S. Senate for a confirmation vote despite significant opposition from former judges and prosecutors.

According to a complaint published last month, Erez Reuveni, a former immigration lawyer at the Department of Justice, blew the whistle on an extraordinary suggestion that the department would need to consider telling the courts presiding over immigration cases “f**k you” and ignore a judge’s order blocking the hasty and hushed deportation of migrants to El Salvador.

Amid all the Trump administration’s efforts to politicize the justice system, few loom larger right now than the nomination of top Justice Department official Emil Bove to a prestigious appeals-court judgeship.

Judge Michael Luttig, a critic of Trump who sought to disqualify the 47th president, is leading a charge to torpedo Bove’s bid.