Washington, DC – Senator Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI), a member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, released the following statement on federal district court nominee Patrick Wyrick’s confirmation vote in the Senate this evening:
“On top of sterling credentials and strong experience in the law, federal judges ought to demonstrate ethical backbone. Mr. Wyrick’s record, on the other hand, is an ethical dead zone. He built his career serving as a go-between for fossil fuel interests and disgraced polluter errand boy Scott Pruitt when he served in Oklahoma government. He gave false statements before the Supreme Court – not a small foul for any lawyer. He failed to disclose his role in his wife’s health care venture after telling me – under oath – he had nothing to do with it. And he said he met the residency requirements to run for Oklahoma’s Supreme Court when official records say otherwise. Mr. Wyrick shouldn’t be anywhere near confirmation to the federal bench.”
The Senate confirmed Wyrick by a vote of 53-47. Documents and testimony suggest Wyrick did not present the truth to Whitehouse under oath before the Judiciary Committee. Wyrick is among the nominees President Donald Trump has named a top contender to fill a future Supreme Court vacancy.
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