Rebecca Taibleson faces scrutiny in 7th Circuit bid

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Rebecca Taibleson defended her conservative credentials Wednesday as some groups have raised concerns over her nomination to the 7th Circuit Court of Appeals over her political donations and her husband’s support of Democrats.

During her appearance before the Senate’s Judiciary Committee, Taibleson invoked slain conservative activist Charlie Kirk in discussing her legal and political differences with her husband, fellow Assistant U.S. Attorney Ben Taibleson.

Rebecca Taibleson said she and her husband disagree about a lot politically and legally, but agree on their devotion to their children, religious faith, love of the country and devotion to public service.

“I was raised in actually the best tradition of Charlie Kirk to relish debate,” she said. “You know, prove me wrong, and so we do have law and policy debates. But it works for us because we have so much else in common.”

More than 50 conservatives issued a statement on Monday opposing her nomination, citing donations such as one she made to ActBlue in 2022 that they said was earmarked for former Dem U.S. Sen. Joe Manchin of West Virginia. They also cited a contribution to the Milwaukee Jewish Federation in Milwaukee, saying the group advocates for social justice and “hosts ‘a group of greater Milwaukee lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, intersex and questioning Jewish people, their friends and allies.’”

U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, said the criticism boiled down to a fear that Taibleson was “secretly a closet liberal” who would be an activist on the bench.

Taibleson recalled feeling like the only conservative at her Jewish day school in the 1990s, saying at the time if “you were Jewish and conservative, you had to really mean it, and we did.”

U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin, D-Ill., said some of the concerns raised with the committee included the Jewish congregation that Taibleson’s family belongs to. Durbin said critics suggested it was politically liberal and led by a rabbi who was pro-LGBT. He called the criticism distasteful.

Ben Taibleson, an assistant U.S. attorney in Milwaukee, donated to Joe Biden in 2020, according to FEC records. Rebecca Taibleson, meanwhile, donated $250 last year to Bridget Schoenborn, appointed by Democratic Gov. Tony Evers to the Waukesha County Court. Schoenborn lost her bid this spring to retain the seat. The conservatives also cited that donation in their statement this week.

President Donald Trump nominated Taibleson for the seat on the 7th Circuit last month. If confirmed, she would replace Diane Sykes, the former Wisconsin Supreme Court justice and nominee of former President George W. Bush. Sykes plans to take senior status Oct. 1.

U.S. Sen. Ron Johnson, R-Oshkosh, introduced Taibleson at the hearing, praising her “strong commitment to the Constitution.”

Durbin, meanwhile, asked Taibleson about her nomination process and whether she had the backing of Johnson and U.S. Sen. Tammy Baldwin, D-Madison, after both lawmakers forwarded her name to the White House to consider for the appointment.

“Well, senator, I don’t want to mislead you. I don’t think I have Sen. Baldwin’s support,” she said.

Baldwin and Johnson used the Federal Nomination Commission to identify candidates for the vacancy on the Chicago-based court. The appointees to the six-member commission identified five candidates for the vacancy.

Baldwin issued a statement after Taibleson’s appointment saying, “Wisconsinites expect that anyone who serves on the bench has robust experience, sound judgment, and is equipped to deliver justice fairly and impartially to everyone. I will use that criteria as I thoroughly review Ms. Taibleson’s application and her confirmation hearing.”