Sen. Cindy Hyde-Smith will not support the nomination of 16th Circuit Court District Attorney Scott Colom for the U.S. District Court judge for the Northern District of Mississippi.
Hyde-Smith informed the White House and Senate Judiciary Committee of her decision Tuesday.
“I will not return the blue slip on the nomination of Scott Colom to serve as a U.S. District Court judge for the Northern District of Mississippi,” Hyde-Smith, a Republican, wrote in a statement to The Dispatch. “I visited with the district attorney recently, and I recognize that he is smart and well liked in his district. However, there are a number of concerns I have regarding his record. As someone with a strong interest in protecting the rights of girls and women, I am concerned about Scott Colom’s opposition to legislation to protect female athletes. The significant support his campaign received from George Soros also weighs heavily against his nomination in my view. I simply cannot support his nomination to serve on the federal bench in Mississippi for a lifetime.”
Hyde-Smith supports a bill in Congress that would prohibit trans-women from competing in female sports.
In June 2021, Colom signed a joint-statement with 73 other elected prosecutors and law enforcement leaders throughout the country stating they do not support the criminalization of doctors or parents who help someone through gender-affirming care or of individuals who use facilities aligned with their gender identity. The statement does not mention athletes or athletics at all.
Colom, a Democrat, was first elected district attorney for the 16th Circuit Court District in 2015, unseating longtime incumbent Forrest Allgood. Colom ran unopposed when he was reelected in 2019.
During his 2015 campaign, Mississippi Safety and Justice, a political super-PAC funded by Hungarian-American billionaire George Soros, spent $89,000 in support of Colom’s election. Colom told The Dispatch at the time he had no direct involvement with that.
“I don’t know George Soros. My dad (local attorney Wil Colom) doesn’t know George Soros,” Colom said. “I was just as surprised as everyone else that George Soros put all this money into a PAC that’s supporting my campaign.”
Colom declined to comment Tuesday when reached by The Dispatch.
President Joe Biden nominated Colom in October 2022 for the judgeship. U.S. Congressman Bennie Thompson, a Democrat who serves Mississippi’s 2nd Congressional District, recommended Colom for nomination.
The nomination goes to the Senate Judiciary Committee, which will either call for a hearing on Colom’s candidacy or deny it. However, each senator from Mississippi is allowed to partake in the “blue slip” process.
“The blue-slip policy incentivizes consultation between the White House and home-state senators on judicial nominees, ensuring that nominees are mainstream and well-suited to serve in their states,” the Senate Judiciary Committee website reads. “For example, many senators use bipartisan committees to screen and recommend judicial nominees. The blue slip ensures the White House doesn’t ignore those bipartisan processes, which produce well-qualified candidates.”
Republican Sen. Roger Wicker’s team told The Dispatch he returned his blue slip after voicing support for Colom in January.
The lack of two blue slips will not always stop a nominee from receiving a hearing, according to the Senate Judiciary Committee website. However, it is not often that hearings happen for the nominee without both blue slips.
In 2019, Eric Miller, from Seattle, Washington, was appointed to the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals after a brief hearing before the Senate but without either of his home-state senators returning their blue slips, according to The Washington Post.
You can help your community
Quality, in-depth journalism is essential to a healthy community. The Dispatch brings you the most complete reporting and insightful commentary in the Golden Triangle, but we need your help to continue our efforts. In the past week, our reporters have posted 46 articles to cdispatch.com. Please consider subscribing to our website for only $2.30 per week to help support local journalism and our community.
You can help your community
Quality, in-depth journalism is essential to a healthy community. The Dispatch brings you the most complete reporting and insightful commentary in the Golden Triangle, but we need your help to continue our efforts. In the past week, our reporters have posted 46 articles to cdispatch.com. Please consider subscribing to our website for only $2.30 per week to help support local journalism and our community.
Join the Discussion