Todd Butler has now posted his questionnaire for the Senate Judiciary Committee. Here is the chronology Butler offers for his nomination:
On June 29, 2026, Senator Roger Wicker contacted me about a potential vacancy on the United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit. I spoke with Senator Cindy Hyde-Smith the following day. On July 1, 2026, an official from the White House Counsel's Office contacted me to arrange an interview. On July 13, 2026, I interviewed with officials from the White House Counsel's Office. Following my interview, I received periodic updates from Senator Wicker about the process. On October I, 2026, President Trump called to inform me that he planned to nominate me for a position on the United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit.
There is a very relevant date missing here. On September 28, 2026, Judge Southwick publicly announced that he would take senior status. Yet three months earlier, Senator Wicker contacted Butler about the potential vacancy.
