A Republican-backed committee will recommend candidates for two vacant federal judgeships in Minnesota, effectively replacing one formed by Democrats already in the process of vetting prospective nominees.
U.S. Rep. Erik Paulsen, R-Minn., made the announcement Tuesday, a month after a separate committee formed by U.S. Sens. Amy Klobuchar and Al Franken, D-Minn., closed the application process — less than two weeks after Donald Trump was elected president.
The new committee — which will be led by former Minnesota Supreme Court Chief Justice Kathleen Blatz and Bert McKasy, a former state representative and commerce department commissioner — will first meet sometime in January to begin reviewing applications to recommend to Trump.
The outcome of the presidential election added new uncertainty to fill two positions vacated by Judges Donovan Frank and Ann Montgomery's decisions to assume senior status.
"This committee is made up of some of Minnesota's brightest legal minds, with an extremely diverse breadth of professional experience," Paulsen said in a statement Tuesday. "I have full confidence in their ability to identify the most-qualified individuals to apply the law in a fair manner, and to ensure equal treatment under the law to all Minnesotans. I look forward to reviewing the committee's work and recommending candidates to the President-elect who will serve Minnesota faithfully."
In late-October, the senators introduced a committee led by former U.S. Attorney Thomas Heffelfinger and private attorney Ann Huntrods that had planned to send recommendations to the Trump transition team before his inauguration.
Paulsen indicated Tuesday that the new search group would work with the two senators and "build upon their committee's efforts as well."
In a phone interview Tuesday, Klobuchar said she and Franken agreed to forward names reviewed by their committee to Paulsen and U.S. Rep. Tom Emmer, R-Minn., after the Nov. 21 deadline for applications passed. Klobuchar said candidates included judges appointed by former Republican Gov. Tim Pawlenty.