Neomi Rao
WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump is nominating administration official Neomi Rao to fill the appeals court seat previously held by Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh.
Trump’s announcement came on Nov. 13 during the White House’s celebration of Diwali, the Hindu festival of light. Rao, who is Indian American, was present at the event.
Trump said he was nominating Rao for the U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit — sometimes referred to as the nation’s second-highest court. Rao currently serves as the administrator of the Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs (OIRA), which is part of the Office of Management and Budget.
Rao, 45, previously worked as a professor at the Antonin Scalia Law School at George Mason University. She clerked for Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas from 2001 to 2002, and served as an associate counsel at the George W. Bush White House, from 2005 to 2006.
Rao thanked Trump “for the confidence you’ve shown in me.”