Rand Paul blames “secret deal” between McConnell and White House for sinking judicial nomination

Louisville, Kentucky — Sen. Rand Paul on Monday accused Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell of cutting “a secret deal with the White House that fell apart,” blaming a lack of communication by his fellow Kentuckian for the failure of a federal judicial nomination.

Further exposing long-simmering tensions between the state’s two Republican senators, Paul commented on his own role in sinking the nomination last week of anti-abortion lawyer Chad Meredith for a federal judgeship in Kentucky.

The White House abruptly abandoned the nomination on Friday, pointing to the home-state resistance from Paul, who is seeking a third term in the U.S. Senate in this year’s elections.

McConnell, a key player in putting conservatives on the federal bench during Donald Trump’s presidency, told The New York Times last week that the White House intended to honor its commitment to name Meredith until Paul objected.

McConnell told the newspaper that Paul’s position was “just utterly pointless.”

Paul responded Monday that he supports Meredith and thought the conservative lawyer would make a good judge, but pointed to the process as the problem.

“Unfortunately, instead of communicating and lining up support for him, Senator McConnell chose to cut a secret deal with the White House that fell apart,” Paul said in a statement.

McConnell has insisted there was no deal over a Meredith nomination, pointing instead to his longstanding personal relationship with President Biden.

In another dig at Paul, McConnell told the Times that the Democratic president “would not have been taking a recommendation from Rand Paul, I can assure you.” McConnell’s office did not respond to Paul’s statement when contacted Monday evening.

Mr. Biden had intended to nominate Meredith for a district court judgeship in eastern Kentucky. The plan, first revealed by The Courier Journal of Louisville, had languished for weeks. The potential nomination drew resistance from Democrats from Kentucky to Washington.

Meredith, a well-known conservative in Kentucky, defended the state’s anti-abortion laws in court. He also successfully defended a state law that stripped Kentucky Democratic Gov. Andy Beshear of his emergency power to implement COVID-19 restrictions.

Meredith previously served as chief deputy general counsel to former Kentucky Gov. Matt Bevin, a Republican. Meredith then worked for Kentucky Republican Attorney General Daniel Cameron, who…