Court Pick Who Ruled for Trump Questioned on Nomination Timing

A Florida state judge nominated to the federal bench defended his decision to not recuse from a defamation case decided in Donald Trump’s favor even though he’d previously been in contact with a senator about the possibility of a judicial appointment.

Ed Artau told the Senate Judiciary Committee on Wednesday that he followed all judicial ethics requirements in deciding to participate in a three-judge appellate panel that on Feb. 12 unanimously allowed Trump’s suit against the Pulitzer Prize board to proceed.

Trump alleges the board defamed him by refusing to rescind reporting prizes for coverage on Russian influence in the ...