Biden’s future candidacy comes as the president vows to use whatever he can to fight for abortion rights following last week’s ruling by the US Supreme Court that overturned Rowe against Wade. With the abolition of the federal constitutional right to abortion, states will have to determine abortion rights unless Congress decides.
Meredith previously worked as a deputy adviser to then-Republican Gov. Matt Bevin, defending a state law that requires abortion doctors to first perform an ultrasound and describe the image on screen to the patient.
In court in 2018, Meredith argued that the law would ensure that women would be more fully informed of their decision because “not every patient understands the consequences of the abortion procedure.”
“This is exactly what states are allowed to do to regulate medicine,” Meredith said at the time. “There are many patients who do not understand the nature of the fetus within them.”
A spokesman for Kentucky MP John Yarmouth told CNN that the MP “was informed of the White House’s intention to nominate Meredith by White House staff.” And Democratic Gov. Andy Besir told a news conference Thursday that his team had been informed of Biden’s intention to nominate Meredith “late last week.”
“Right now I understand he has not submitted, which I hope at least means he is on hiatus,” Beshear said.
Beshear had strong words for Biden, saying: “If the President makes this candidacy, it is unacceptable.”
The governor also criticized Meredith’s involvement in Bevin’s decision to issue hundreds of pardons before stepping down, which included pardoning a variety of violent acts such as murder and rape. There were accusations by critics that some of the pardons were political in nature, something Bevin denied at the time.
“I do not know how the President can say that he is in favor of public safety if he makes this candidacy,” Beshear added.
Asked for comment, a White House official said: “In practice, we do not comment on executive or judicial positions.
Yarmuth told The Courier-Journal that he believed Meredith’s candidacy in a court where there is no current vacancy “is part of a larger agreement on the candidacy between the President and Mitch McConnell” – in particular, to convince him Senate minority leader to agree no longer hold back Biden’s future federal candidacies.
CNN contacted Meredith and McConnell’s office for comment.
There are 118 current or expected lower court vacancies. The Biden government has nominated a candidate for 34 of these vacancies so far.
