Judge Kavanaugh On Latest Trump Supreme Court List

The White House released a list of current judges under the heading: "President Donald J. Trump's Supreme Court list," and a familiar name to communications case-watchers was on it.

That would be conservative judge Brett Kavanaugh of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit, which is the principal court of jurisdiction for challenges of FCC decisions.

Candidate Trump had issued a list of 21 candidates that did not include Kavanaugh, an omission that drew the attention of The National Review.

Just last month, Kavanaugh wrote the majority opinion finding that the FCC was within its authority to seek more input before deciding whether to require broadcasters to simulcast emergency alert information in languages other than English.

He also dissented from the Circuit's decision to grant IPSs request for an en banc review of a court panel's decision not to reconsider upholding the FCC's Title II-based Internet order, saying the FCC order was unlawful and should have been vacated.

Kavanaugh was appointed to the circuit in 2006 by President George W. Bush, for whom he had been Assistant to the President and Staff Secretary to the President.

John Eggerton

Contributing editor John Eggerton has been an editor and/or writer on media regulation, legislation and policy for over four decades, including covering the FCC, FTC, Congress, the major media trade associations, and the federal courts. In addition to Multichannel News and Broadcasting + Cable, his work has appeared in Radio World, TV Technology, TV Fax, This Week in Consumer Electronics, Variety and the Encyclopedia Britannica.