A former U.S. Attorney and current Assistant U.S. Attorney are among 61 people who have applied for the three open seats on the Iowa Supreme Court.
Matt Dummermuth (gov)
Matt Dummermuth took office as the U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Iowa in January 2007, at the age of 33, under a controversial provision of the Patriot Act — since rescinded — that effectively allowed the White House to install a U.S. Attorney without going through the Senate confirmation process. Then-President George W. Bush sent Dummermuth’s nomination to the Senate in December 2007, but he didn’t answer questions to the satisfaction of Judiciary Committee Democrats and failed to win confirmation.
In November 2010, Dummermuth resigned his position just before current U.S. Attorney Stephanie Rose took over. A statement said that Dummermuth planned to spend time with his family and help on his parents’ farm before taking on his next professional challenge.
Lawrence Donald Kudej is an Assistant U.S. Attorney in Cedar Rapids. He has worked as the chief of the civil division in the district.
On Jan. 24, the state’s Judicial Nominating Commission will begin meeting to interview the applicants. The interviews are open to the public and are expected to last several days, according to the state Supreme Court. The committee will forward nine names to Gov. Chet Culver (D), who will have 30 days to appoint three justices.
