COURT WATCH: Numerous Trump Judicial Nominees Hold Ties to This Hate Group

New report is part of Accountable.US’s new investigative newsletter series “Court Watch”

Today, a new Accountable.US research investigation has uncovered that so far four of President Donald Trump’s judicial nominees hold concerning ties to the Alliance Defending Freedom (ADF), a Southern Poverty Law Center-designated hate group that pushes an out-of-touch anti-abortion and anti-LGBTQ+ agenda through litigation. Even worse: multiple judicial nominees who met with ADF ahead of their confirmation hearings will serve on courts that are likely to have ADF-backed cases before them.  

Emil Bove, confirmed to a lifetime appointment on the Third Circuit Court of Appeals, and Anne-Leigh Gaylord Moe, nominated to the Middle District of Florida, both revealed in Senate Judiciary Committee disclosures that they spoke with ADF’s government affairs director, Kellie Fiedorek, about their qualifications, judicial philosophy, and confirmation preparation following their nominations. The meetings raise ethical concerns given that ADF has active litigation or is likely to have cases before the courts where these judges will sit – a fundamental breach of judicial ethics.

For example, Bove could hear an appeal of Heaps v. Delaware Valley Regional High School Board of Education, where ADF attorneys are representing a father challenging a school district’s handling of a student’s social transition. That case remains active and could be assigned to a panel on which Bove sits. 

But Bove and Moe aren’t the only judges who hold ties to ADF. Jordan Pratt, nominated to the Middle District of Florida, disclosed that he has friends working at ADF and kept them “apprised of significant developments” throughout his nomination process. Meanwhile, Joshua Divine, confirmed to serve in Missouri’s Eastern and Western Districts, admitted to having “regular discussions” with ADF associates, attending ADF-hosted events, and coaching law students participating in ADF fellowships. 

Let’s be clear: these extensive relationships go beyond casual professional contacts and could even mean collaboration with a far-right organization that will likely appear in these judges’ courtrooms. It’s even more concerning when considering how ADF’s strategic approach to judicial influence has shifted in recent years. The organization claims to have won sixteen Supreme Court victories since 2011, including overturning Roe v. Wade, and maintains active cases in other federal courts. ADF has already filed lawsuits in the Middle District of Florida and the Eastern District of Missouri – the exact courts where Pratt and Divine would serve, if confirmed. 

This research builds on our broader work exposing Trump’s judicial takeover, including our ongoing Judicial Nominations Watch project, which tracks and exposes the extremist records of Trump’s nominees. 

Accountable.US will be sending these reports out regularly. Please don’t hesitate to reach out if you have any questions about this report or are interested in any additional research or information on the MAGA efforts to undermine and influence our federal courts.