Pence Vetoed Trump Judge Pick Because He Feared for His Own Reputation, Says Report

Vice President Mike Pence vetoed the Donald Trump’s pick for a federal judge nominee because he feared the nomination would bring up events from the past that could damage his reputation, Politico reports. Tom Fisher, solicitor general of Pence’s home state of Indiana, was selected by the White House counsel’s office as a potential successor for 79-year-old Judge Michael Kanne. Pence’s lawyers made clear that he objected to Fisher’s nomination, which never came to pass and cost the Trump administration a chance to promote a fresh conservative to the federal bench. The vice president’s main concern was reportedly Fisher’s involvement in litigation over Pence’s unsuccessful attempt to stop Syrian refugees from settling in Indiana after the November 2015 terrorist attacks in Paris. “The political issues that had been very controversial in Indiana while Pence was governor Fisher had also been very involved in because he was solicitor general, and that nomination would reignite those battles—and they could potentially embarrass the vice president,” a former administration official explained.