Citing his career as a plaintiff’s attorney, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce on Thursday called into question the qualifications of John J. McConnell to sit on the U.S. District Court in Rhode Island.
Lisa A. Rickard, president of the U.S. Chamber Institute for Legal Reform, said the 11-7 Senate Judiciary Committee vote on McConnell’s nomination Thursday “underscores the strong concern that many have with this troubled judicial nominee.” In a letter to the committee, R. Bruce Josten, executive vice president of government affairs at the Chamber, raised concerns about his legal work against companies that manufactured lead paint and payments he will receive from his career as a plaintiffs’ lawyer. McConnell is a partner at the law firm of Motley Rice LLC in Providence.
“It is well-documented that Mr. McConnell is less than qualified to be a federal judge, that he has demonstrated a fundamental bias against business, and that his lifetime payouts from his career as a plaintiffs’ lawyer pose serious conflict-of-interest concerns,” Rickard said in a statement. The Chamber represents business interests.
President Barack Obama has nominated McConnell three times over the last year, but the full Senate has yet to act on his nomination before adjourning.
