JUSTICE DEPARTMENT/NOMINATIONS/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “Matthew Petersen, the judicial nominee who was widely ridiculed last week after a video went viral of him struggling to answer basic legal questions at his Senate confirmation hearing, withdrew from consideration on Monday.
Petersen, a member of the Federal Election Commission, said in his resignation letter to President Donald Trump that it ‘become clear to me over the last few days that my nomination has become a distraction — and that is not fair to you or your Administration.’
Trump nominated Petersen or a seat on the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, which carries a lifetime tenure.
Last week, Petersen was grilled by Sen. John Kennedy, R-La., at a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing about his background and the nominee stumbled badly when quizzed on matters of law and his legal experience…
The latest withdrawal comes after just as two of Trump’s other judicial picks were knocked out of the running earlier this month. Jeff Mateer described transgender children as evidence of ‘Satan’s plan’ and Brett Talley had never argued a case in court and was rated ‘unanimously unqualified’ by the American Bar Association.”
-Dartunorro Clark, “Embarrassed Trump judicial pick who never tried a case withdraws,” NBC News, Dec. 18, 2017 3:37pm