WASHINGTON, D.C., April 9, 2019 – Following media reports that Earthjustice has identified even more examples of impropriety and unethical actions in the record of Patrick Wyrick, a nominee for a seat on the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Oklahoma who could have a confirmation vote on the Senate floor as early as this afternoon, AFJ President Nan Aron released the following statement:
“It’s hard to imagine that Patrick Wyrick is even more ethically compromised than we originally knew, but these reports show that to be the case. Wyrick’s apparent efforts to hide business dealings and stock holdings that present clear conflicts of interest are disqualifying for someone who wants to be a federal judge, and are all too reminiscent of the deplorable behavior of his mentor, Scott Pruitt. It’s also no coincidence he is set to be one of the first district court nominees to benefit from the Republican-devised rules change that slashes floor debate time for district court nominees. Republicans have cut to almost nothing the time allowed for public discussion of these nominees’ merits, so they can hide records like Wyrick’s from scrutiny. They should be ashamed.”