Columbia Standard

U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin, along with all Senate Judiciary Democrats, has filed a professional misconduct complaint against Acting Deputy Attorney General Emil Bove with the New York State Bar. The complaint was submitted to the Attorney Grievance Committee of the First Judicial Department in New York, which deals with lawyer complaints from Manhattan and the Bronx.

The Senators express significant concern over Bove's actions, particularly regarding the dismissal of charges against New York City Mayor Eric Adams. They assert that Bove has misused his position for political purposes, writing: “We write to express our grave concern about actions taken by Emil Joseph Bove, III that may constitute serious professional misconduct under the New York State Unified Court System Rules of Professional Conduct." They allege that Bove used federal prosecutorial power to coerce Mayor Adams into supporting policies beneficial to former President Donald Trump.

The letter details instances where Bove's conduct appears to breach multiple categories of prohibited misconduct according to the New York State Unified Court System. The Senators state: “As detailed in official Department of Justice and U.S. Attorney’s Office for the SDNY memoranda and subsequent public reporting, Mr. Bove has explicitly premised the dismissal of charges against Mayor Eric L. Adams upon the extraction of a political favor from Mayor Adams to benefit President Trump."

The complaint further notes that several officials resigned rather than comply with what they considered unethical orders from Bove. The Senators argue this behavior undermines both the integrity of the justice system and public trust, stating: “When a government lawyer...commits serious violations of professional conduct, such actions undermine the integrity of our justice system and erode public confidence in it."

Alongside Durbin, other signatories include Senators Sheldon Whitehouse, Amy Klobuchar, Chris Coons, Richard Blumenthal, Mazie Hirono, Cory Booker, Alex Padilla, Peter Welch, and Adam Schiff.