WASHINGTON _ Brett J. Talley, President Donald Trump's choice to be a federal judge in Alabama, has withdrawn from consideration, a White House official said Wednesday.
He is the first failed judicial nominee for the new administration, but he is likely to be joined shortly by Jeff Mateer, a Texas assistant attorney general who was nominated to be a district judge in his state.
Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Charles E. Grassley, R-Iowa, has moved quickly to approve Trump's proposed judges, but he said this week he would not hold a hearing for Mateer and would oppose confirming Talley in the full Senate.
Talley is a 36-year old lawyer and blogger who had close ties to the White House. His wife, Ann Donaldson, works for White House Counsel Don McGahn. But Talley has little legal experience, has never tried a case and was rated "not qualified" by the American Bar Association's screening committee.
