Biden Judicial Nominee on the Ropes

Michael Delaney nomination in peril: Parents of victims of sexual abuse victim speak out Michael Delaney

One of President Joe Biden’s judicial nominees appears to be in peril as a sexual assault victim and her family are speaking out against his confirmation.

Michael Delaney, who represented the elite St. Paul’s School in a civil lawsuit against a teenage sexual assault victim, wasn’t scheduled for a Senate vote on Thursday, and the First Circuit nominee faced rare—and extensive—written questions from Democratic senators about his role defending institutions embroiled in sexual misconduct scandals.

After facing tough questions by Republican senators in February about his attempt to erase the anonymity and identity of then-minor Chessy prout, who was sex assaulted at St. Paul’s New Hampshire school in 2014. Prout’s parents asked Biden to withdraw Delaney’s nomination. Interview With the Washington Free Beacon Monday, arguing Delaney’s choice “to make money off of survivors of sexual assault and defend these institutions.”

Chairman of the Judiciary Committee Sen. Dick Durbin (D. Ill.), who called Delaney at the February hearing “pretty rough,” He has not yet scheduled a vote on his nominating.

The Judiciary Committee weekly scheduleDurbin’s Monday release lists two additional nominees for a vote: Jeffrey Cummings, and LaShonda H Hunt. They had their hearings on the same day last month as Delaney.

Delaney’s problems are further highlighted by the lengthy list of questions that Senator Dianne Feinstein (D. Calif.), sent him. It is rare for senators to submit written questions to nominees of their own party, and Feinstein’s lengthy list—Delaney’s responses ran 42 pages—homed in on his representation of institutions under fire for the sexual misconduct of employees.

Delaney’s answers make it clear that this is a key practice area for him. He said that he has represented 25 “primary or secondary educational institutions … in responding to instances of misconduct experienced by students” There are five youth organizations that have been accused of sexual abuse of children.

However, Delaney’s nomination is going to hinge on how Democratic senators view his conduct in the Prout case. Their name appears 81x in the Feinstein questionnaire, and he acknowledges that, while representing St. Paul’s School. “did request permission to use Ms. Prout’s real name in private settings during pretrial discovery stages of the case, and with jurors at any trial.”

Prout’s parents

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