Milwaukee Judge Hannah Dugan, who was arrested and charged last week with hiding a previously deported illegal immigrant in her jury room in order to shield him from immigration officials, has tapped former Bush solicitor general Paul Clemente to represent her, according to Law.com.
Clemente, an appellate legal heavyweight, served as the U.S. solicitor general from 2005 to 2009 and has argued more than 100 cases before the U.S. Supreme Court.
He was on President Donald Trump’s short list of Supreme Court nominees during his first term and provided independent legal advice on the Justice Department’s request to dismiss the corruption case against New York City Mayor Eric Adams. Clement recommended that the case be dismissed with prejudice, meaning the charges could not be refiled.
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Clemente joining Dugan’s defense team is significant given his conservative political background and long-standing career of arguing on behalf of conservative causes, including opposing gun control and same-sex marriage, according to Law.com.
He also litigated against the Obama administration, challenging the constitutionality of the Affordable Care Act.
Dugan was arrested Friday and charged with obstruction of an official proceeding and concealing an individual to prevent discovery and arrest, according to a criminal complaint.
Federal agents from ICE, FBI, CBP and DEA attempted to arrest the undocumented male – Mexican national Eduardo Flores-Ruiz – following his scheduled criminal court appearance before Dugan on April 18 to face three misdemeanor battery charges for allegedly beating up two people.
Dugan demanded that the officers proceed to the chief judge’s office and – after his hearing ended – escorted Flores-Ruiz and his attorney out a restricted jury door, bypassing the public area where agents were waiting in order to help him avoid arrest, per the complaint.
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Dugan appeared in federal court in Milwaukee on Friday and her next court appearance is May 15.
The Wisconsin Supreme Court issued an administrative order on Tuesday calling for Milwaukee Circuit Court Judge Hannah Dugan to be “temporarily relieved of her official duties.”
Clement, meanwhile, is a founding partner of Clement & Murphy PLLC, a boutique appellate law firm based in Washington, D.C., and a distinguished lecturer in law at the Georgetown University Law Center, where he initially served as an adjunct professor starting in 1998.
Following graduation, Clement clerked for Judge Laurence H. Silberman of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit as well as for Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia.
Clement’s advocacy in the high court also includes recently arguing Loper Bright v. Raimondo, which effectively overturned the Chevron doctrine. The doctrine previously gave deference to an agency’s interpretation of a federal regulation.
He also served as chief counsel of the U.S. Senate Subcommittee on the Constitution, Federalism and Property Rights.
Clement will join a legal team led by Steve Biskupic, a former U.S. attorney and a George W. Bush appointee who prosecuted seven officers for the 2004 racially motivated assault of Frank Jude Jr., according to Law.com reports.
Other members of the defense team include Craig Mastantuono of Mastantuono Coffee & Thomas and Jason Luczak and Nicole Masnica of Gimbel, Reilly, Guerin & Brown, per the outlet.
Fox News Digital’s Haley Chi-Sing, Breanne Deppisch and Greg Wehner contributed to this report.
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