President Biden nominates Rep. Emanuel Cleaver’s son-in-law to federal circuit court
President Joe Biden on Tuesday nominated Jabari Wamble, the son-in-law of U.S. Rep. Emanuel Cleaver, to serve as a judge in the 10th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals.
Wamble is currently an assistant U.S. attorney for the District of Kansas, where he’s worked since 2011. Prior to becoming a federal prosecutor, he served as assistant state attorney general under former Kansas Attorney General Stephen Six.
The 10th Circuit handles federal appeals in Kansas, Oklahoma, Colorado, New Mexico, Utah and Wyoming. If Wamble is confirmed by the U.S. Senate, he’ll replace Judge Mary Beck Briscoe.
Originally from Oklahoma, Wamble attended the University of Kansas as an undergraduate and ran track and field. After he graduated, he attended University of Kansas Law School and later worked in the Johnson County District Attorney’s office.
Wamble is married to Marissa Cleaver, one of the Kansas City congressman and former mayor’s four children. Cleaver, Missouri’s senior Democrat in Congress, was an early supporter of Biden’s presidential campaign. He formally endorsed him in 2019, four months before the Iowa caucuses when Biden’s campaign was still struggling in the crowded primary field.
As the courts have increasingly become a political battle ground amid an often gridlocked Congress, Biden has raced to confirm judicial nominees in an evenly split U.S. Senate. So far, the Biden administration has gotten one Supreme Court Justice, 18 Circuit Court judges and 57 District Court judges confirmed.
Sen. Jerry Moran, R-Kansas, said he met with Wamble to discuss his work in the U.S. Attorney’s office. He said he looked forward to hearing from Wamble when he testifies in front of the Senate Judiciary Committee.
“Providing advice and consent of a judicial nominee is one of the most important responsibilities of the United States Senate,” Moran said. “Congratulations to Jabari Wamble on his nomination to the Federal bench... Mr. Wamble has demonstrated legal skill and interest in justice throughout his professional career. He is a dedicated public servant.”
This story was originally published August 9, 2022 at 1:00 PM with the headline "President Biden nominates Rep. Emanuel Cleaver’s son-in-law to federal circuit court."
