President Donald Trump has recently nominated Austin attorney David Morales to be a U.S district court judge in Corpus Christi. The seat has been vacant for the past seven years and was declared to be a judicial emergency.

Morales has been lauded by Republican  officeholders in Texas as the long-awaited right man for the job.

Shortly after the nomination was made, US Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) urged the Senate to quickly confirm Morales to the bench:

David Morales will make an outstanding federal judge…having worked side-by-side with David in the Texas attorney general’s office defending the constitutional rights of Texans, I know firsthand that he will be a principled, passionate defender of the Constitution and the rule of law, which is why I was proud to join Senator Cornyn in recommending that the president nominate David to this position. He should be swiftly confirmed.Image result for david morales nomination

US Sen. John Cornyn (R-TX) echoed Cruz’s sentiments, saying, “David has spent his career mastering complex legal issues in both public service and private practice, and I look forward to working with my colleagues to ensure his swift confirmation”.

A law graduate from Texas’ St. Edward’s University in Austin and St. Mary’s University in San Antonio, Morales has racked up more than 17 years of experience in various roles within the Attorney General’s Office. Additionally, he has also served as deputy general counsel to the University of Texas System Board of Regents, and as general counsel to Texas Gov. Rick Perry from 2011-2014. Currently, Morales is a partner at law firm Kelly Hart & Hallman and focuses on litigation, administrative law and public law.

Morales gained statewide attention in 2016 for his in ending the 2016 lawsuit against Trump University. In 2016 Morales claimed that he was responsible for pulling the plug on a $5.4 million lawsuit against Trump University during his position as deputy attorney general for then-Attorney General Greg Abbott.

Regarding the settlement, Morales said, “The agreement [for Trump University] to permanently and immediately leave Texas was, in my opinion, the most important element of resolving this investigation.”

While some liberal pundits have criticized Morales’ nomination as a reward for “shutting down” the investigation of Trump University, Abbott has called those claims “bogus,” emphasizing that Morales is simply the right man for the job.

 

 

Kate Hanlon

Kate Hanlon is a Fellow with Empower Texans. Hailing from Dallas, Texas, Kate is student at St. Edward's University and an Army ROTC cadet at the University of Texas at Austin. Kate's love for history and reading led her to be interested in politics at a young age. At the St. Edward's University, Kate is pursuing a major in Political Science and a minor in Chinese language. She is also a member of her University's Honors program and a member of the Young Americans for Liberty chapter on campus. In her free time, Kate enjoys rockclimbing, reading, and volunteering with her local church.

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