Judge who was suspended from bench appointed to senior DOJ role: reports
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A former Oregon judge accused of hanging a picture of Hitler in the courthouse and refusing to marry same-sex couples has been appointed to a senior position at the U.S. Justice Department, according to local reports.
Willamette Week reports that Vance Day, who was suspended from the bench in Marion County, Oregon, in 2018, will serve as senior counsel to the deputy attorney general.
Who is Vance Day?
FILE - Vance Day, chairman of Oregon Republican National Committee, displays a box of Wheaties cereal with a photo of Senator John McCain of Arizona, Republican presidential candidate, on day one of the Republican National Convention (RNC) at the Xce
Day is a former trial lawyer who served as chairman of the Oregon Republican Party from 2005-2009. He was appointed by a Democrat governor in 2011 to serve as a judge in Marion County.
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The Oregon Supreme Court suspended Day from the bench for three years without pay in 2018. That was three years after the Oregon Commission on Judicial Fitness recommended that he be permanently removed from the bench.
Why was Vance Day suspended from the bench?
The backstory:
According to The Oregonian, Day was suspended from the bench for the following reasons:
- Refusing to perform same-sex weddings, then later refusing to officiate any weddings
- Intimidating a soccer referee at his son’s soccer game, then lying about it when questioned.
- Falsely claiming he didn't know that a veteran in a court over which he presided had a felony conviction, then allowing said veteran to handle guns in his presence. Felons are prohibited from owning or using firearms in Oregon.
- Taking money from lawyers, some of whom appeared before him in court, to sponsor veteran-related wall hangings in the courthouse hallways.
- Hanging up a picture of Hitler in the courthouse (Day said the picture of Hitler was in the context of a liberal democracy defeating fascism)
The formal complaint against Day accused him of violating judicial rules involving "integrity, impartiality and independence," and one prohibiting "dishonesty, fraud, deceit, or misrepresentation," The Oregonian reports. The complaint also alleged he acted in a manner that "reflects adversely on the judge's character, competence, temperament, or fitness to serve as a judge."
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Who will Vance Day work for?
Why you should care:
Day will serve as senior counsel to the No. 2 person at the Justice Department. The current acting deputy attorney general is Emil Bove. President Donald Trump has nominated Todd Blanche to serve as permanent deputy attorney general, but he is awaiting Senate confirmation.
The Source: This report includes information from Willamette Week, The Oregonian and previous LiveNow from FOX reporting.