Senate votes to confirm Associate Attorney General West

Sen. Tom Coburn (R-Okla.) was the only senator to oppose West’s nomination.

{mosads}Senate Judiciary Committee ranking member Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) said ahead of the vote that he’d support West’s nomination, but that he had concerns about the work West did with Tom Perez — now Secretary of Labor — in the Civil Division of the DOJ.

Grassley said West defended a “quid pro quo” deal worked out by Perez that undercut a whistle-blower fighting the city of St. Paul, Minn. Grassley said the deal left the whistle-blower “twisting in the wind.” 

“We need individuals serving in these position who are willing to stand up against those trying to advance a political agenda,” Grassley said. “It doesn’t appear Mr. West stood up to Mr. Perez as he should have. … [However] I’m will to give Mr. West the benefit of the doubt.”

West, who had been serving as acting associate attorney general, waited weeks for Senate Leaders to agree on a time to hold the vote.