Senate Approves Justice Department No. 3, Backlog of Nominees

The Senate ended a stalemate to confirm a former go-to lawyer for President Donald Trump’s inner circle as the Justice Department’s third-in-command, along with other senior DOJ officials.

In addition to approving Stanley Woodward as associate attorney general, the Senate on Tuesday confirmed Patrick Davis as the department’s legislative affairs head and 16 US attorneys, including for districts based in Memphis, Philadelphia, and Cleveland.

The 51-47 party-line block vote that delivered more than 100 White House nominees bolsters the presence of politically appointed law enforcement leadership at a DOJ that’s already moved firmly within Trump’s control.

Woodward, a defense attorney who’s represented FBI Director Kash Patel, Trump trade adviser Peter Navarro, numerous defendants involved in the Jan. 6 insurrection, and a Trump co-defendant charged in the Mar-a-Lago classified documents case, will take over as the department’s No. 3 official after serving as senior counselor to the president earlier this year. As associate AG, he’ll oversee the department’s civil, antitrust, and civil rights divisions and be a senior adviser to Attorney General Pam Bondi.

Davis, a veteran of the first Trump administration who was named acting chief of DOJ’s legislative office in late January, will now permanently direct a team that coordinates the department’s thorny intersection with Capitol Hill.

The nominees gained approval after their appointments lingered in the Senate for months, as Democrats blocked their expedited confirmation. Republican Senators changed the chamber’s voting rules to permit the nominees to all receive final votes together.