Senate to vote on Kentucky judge’s appeals court nomination

FRANKFORT, Ky. (AP) - U.S. Sen. Mitch McConnell says a Kentucky judge nominated for the appeals court will get a vote in the Senate.

McConnell said the Senate will vote on the confirmation of U.S. District Judge Amul Thapar on Thursday. Republican President Donald Trump nominated Thapar to a vacancy on the 6th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals.

Thapar was the U.S. attorney for eastern Kentucky before former President George W. Bush appointed him to the District Court in 2008. The White House says Thapar was the first federal judge of South Asian descent.

McConnell noted the American Bar Association has given Thapar its highest rating and called him an “excellent jurist.” The Alliance for Justice has opposed Thapar’s nomination, saying the group disagreed with some of his rulings relating to campaign ethics and finance.