Sen. Tim Scott, R-S.C., said Thursday he would oppose the nomination of Thomas Farr to the federal bench in North Carolina because of his links to voter suppression efforts that targeted blacks, The State reported.
The decision by the upper chamber's only black Republican effectively ends the chance for confirmation of President Donald Trump's nominee. Retiring Sen. Jeff Flake, R-Ariz., has already said he would oppose Farr's nomination.
In a brief statement, Scott cited a 1991 Department of Justice memo obtained by The Washington Post that detailed Farr's involvement in "ballot security" activities by the 1984 and 1990 campaigns of then-Sen. Jesse Helms, R-N.C.
The DOJ investigated voter intimidation claims in the races and settled with the Helms campaign in a consent decree.
Farr worked for the campaign in 1984 and represented the 1990 campaign as a lawyer, The State noted.
"I am ready and willing to support strong candidates for our judicial vacancies that do not have lingering concerns about issues that could affect their decision-making process as a federal judge," Scott said in his statement, The State reported.
"This week, a Department of Justice memo written under President George H.W. Bush was released that shed new light on Mr. Farr's activities. This, in turn, created more concerns. Weighing these important factors, this afternoon I concluded that I could not support Mr. Farr's nomination."
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