Chairman Grassley's Statement Ahead of Vote on D.C. District Court nominee Timothy J. Kelly

 

I’m pleased today to support the nomination of Tim Kelly to be a Judge on the D.C. District Court.

 

Tim serves as my Chief Counsel for National Security, Senior Crime Counsel, and Majority Staff Director for the Caucus on International Narcotics Control. That’s quite a professional title, and he’s done an excellent job serving the Judiciary Committee.

 

Tim’s career boasts a wide range of legal experience. After Tim graduated from Georgetown University Law Center in 1997, he served as a law clerk to Judge Buckwalter of the Eastern District of Pennsylvania. He’s worked as an associate at Arnold & Porter. And he dedicated six months of his career to work at the Legal Aid Society of D.C.

 

Tim has also spent a significant portion of his career serving as a federal prosecutor including several years as an Assistant United States Attorney for the District of Columbia where he prosecuted a wide range of criminal cases in the very Court for which he’s being considered today. He also served as a Trial Attorney in the Public Integrity Section at DOJ where he prosecuted public corruption cases. He’s tried approximately 30 cases during his career as well as negotiated dozens of guilty pleas.

 

Tim is a very talented attorney and is well-liked by everyone here—by staff and Members on both sides of the aisle. His collegiality and ability to get along with folks will serve him well on the bench. I know he’ll show proper respect to the litigants and attorneys who appear before him as well as to the staff who work with him.

 

His counsel and advice have served the members of the Judiciary Committee well. And just to point to one example of his work on behalf of this Committee, I’d note that he was the lead Senate Republican Judiciary staffer on the Comprehensive Addiction and Recovery Act of 2016, which was signed into law by President Obama last year. This bill will help countless numbers of folks struggling with drug addiction.

 

Tim’s vast legal experiences and his thoughtful approach to his work will help him be an excellent federal judge. I believe he has the temperament to hear any case that will come before him with a fair mind, seeking to do justice for all.

 

Of course, others have recognized Tim’s merits as well. The ABA gave him a unanimous “Well Qualified” rating—the highest rating they give. And he’s received awards for his work from the Department of Justice, the Department of Energy, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation.

 

Tim will make an excellent judge and I’m honored to support his nomination today. I urge all my colleagues to vote in favor of this nomination.

 

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