President Joe Biden tapped appellate lawyer Elizabeth Prelogar for the permanent solicitor General spot, the White House announced Wednesday morning.
The president delayed the announcement by almost seven months, sparking some concern among those keeping an eye on the Supreme Court, according to Politico. The delay may have been caused in part because the White House was debating other candidates, although Prelogar’s close connection to Attorney General Merrick Garland while he served as a D.C. Circuit judge could have been another reason, Politico added.
Prelogar used to serve as a clerk for Garland and more recently was working on the staff of special counsel for Robert Mueller as a prosecutor during the Trump-Russia investigation. (RELATED: The Media’s Russia ‘Bombshells’ Look Even Worse Now That Mueller Found No Collusion)
If confirmed, Prelogar will be just the second female SG, following her former boss, Elena Kagan. But as @KimberlyRobinsn reported yesterday, some in the White House were hoping to add other elements of diversity.
— Greg Stohr (@GregStohr) August 11, 2021
Biden’s pick also has ties to former Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg and Justice Elena Kagan, serving clerkships in the Supreme Court for both, the White House noted in a press release. She’s fluent in Russian, a skill that reportedly made her appealing during the Mueller investigation. (RELATED: The Mueller Investigation Is Over)
Prelogar has been serving in an acting solicitor General position since January, according to Bloomberg News Supreme Court reporter Greg Stohr. She will be the second female solicitor General if confirmed, he noted.