Federal appellate nominee Lawrence VanDyke received an unqualified rating from the American Bar Association, which cited interviews with legal peers who said he was accomplished, but “arrogant, lazy and an ideologue.”
The sharply-worded assessment to the Senate Judiciary Committee surfaced ahead of the Trump nominee’s confirmation hearing Oct. 30 for a seat on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit. It ignited a simmering controversy that led ABA’s ratings group to defend its work amid allegations of bias.
Testifying at the hearing at which the room fell silent during an emotional moment, VanDyke pushed back on the lowest ...