Biden Withdraws Support for His Judge Nominee

(UnitedHeadlines.com) – President Joe Biden did not renew his nomination of Judge Todd Edelman to the U.S. District Court of Washington, D.C., after pushback from Senate Republicans.

Many senators opposed Edelman, who sits on the district’s Superior Court, because of his decisions in a case involving Christian Wingfield. Edelman released Wingfield, who was awaiting trial for illegal possession of a firearm, with a GPS monitoring ankle bracelet. Not long after he was released, Wingfield was involved with the July 4, 2020, murder of Davon McNeal, 10, at a “stop the violence” cookout.

During his November 2022 nomination hearing by the Senate Judiciary Committee, Edelman was questioned about his decision to release Wingfield. Tennessee Sen. Marsha Blackburn, a member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, opposed Edelman. During the hearing, Blackburn stated that Edelman knew his arrest record. She added that another judge had denied Wingfield’s request for pre-trial release a week prior to Edelman’s decision, stating that he posed a “safety risk” to the community. Edelman defended his decision and stated he recalled “virtually all the facts.” He called the charge of illegal gun possession “non-violent.” He added Wingfield pleaded guilty to voluntary manslaughter of McNeal and that he was not the person who fired the gun.

Blackburn said she was “pleased” Biden did not renew Edelman’s nomination. She added that because of “radical, activist judges like Judge Edelman” crime is on the rise across the country.

A reported friend of Edelman, Dana Milbank, published an op-ed in the Washington Post, which called Edelman “an important pick for progressives.” Milbank said Edelman is a “devoted public servant” and that by not renewing his nomination, Democrats “cowered” to the criticisms from Republicans.

First nominated to the position by Biden in 2022, Edelman failed to secure enough votes from the Senate Judiciary Committee to proceed to a full Senate vote, and his nomination expired at the end of the 117th Congress.